Amitabh Choudhary dismisses Kohli-Kumble row as "pure speculation"

" question was put to me as to whether something is there or not there. I said I'm not even aware of it. These are purely speculation," Choudhary told reporters in Birmingham on Thursday, reported ESPN Cricinfo. 

On being asked about the bad timing of the invitation for the new coach - just less than a week before the Champions Trophy - Choudhary said that there was no other free window for the BCCI.

"You can see the full calendar and tell me at what position there was a free slot," he said. "After one tournament, there is another, then another series. It had to be done at some point. This is a process which is well-defined."

The deadline for applications for the India coaching job ended on Wednesday, with former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, among others applying for the post. Choudhary clarified that the Indian board was adhering to a process to maintain clarity in the selection and the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman would take the final decision.

"The appointment made last year was after a process had been gone through, and at the end of that process an appointment was made. The appointment was made for a period. That period is coming to an end, so the BCCI is just following the process. If you don't follow a process, it's not supposed to be good. If you follow a process, it's supposed to be good, isn't it?" he added.

But while Choudhary decided to be diplomatic in his comments, chances are bleak that Anil Kumble’s one-year contract will get an extension after the Champions Trophy. It is also understood that some BCCI officials and the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) are trying to broker peace between the two, but it appears Kumble is not interested in continuing after falling out with the players in the dressing room. Kumble's contract expires on June 20, just after the Champions Trophy, and he is likely to communicate to the board about his decision before that.