BCCI denies rift in Indian team

New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Dismissing media speculation, the Indian cricket board denied that there is any rift in the team between Test skipper Virat Kohli and limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

This follows after certain sections of the media reported that there was a rift between the two skippers and that Kohli had questioned some of Dhoni's on-field decisions during the Bangladesh tour.

"There is no confusion. Seriously, we have not heard of anything. Vikram Rathour and Roger Binny were there with the Indian team on the tour of Bangladesh and we are constantly in touch with the team management. It is up to you people to guess and write," said selection committee chairman Sandeep Patil here on Monday.

Rathour and Binny are two of the five members of the All India Senior Selection Committee which is headed by Patil.

Following India's 1-2 One-Day International (ODI) series loss to Bangladesh earlier this month, Dhoni had said that he will be happy to step down from the post if that will improve things for the team when he was questioned about his captaincy by the media.

In response to that, Patil said, "There are many comments that we get to hear. At the moment we have not discussed that matter. We are concerned about the Zimbabwe tour."

Changing the topic, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur said that the decision about the selection of a new coach will be taken by the new advisory panel which has former India captain Sourav Ganguly, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and batting great V.V.S. Laxman.

"The cricket advisory committee is looking into the area and shortlisting names for a future coach. Once we meet in the month of July, we will discuss the issues," said Thakur.

Regarding the speculated series against Pakistan at the end of the year, Thakur added that no decision has been taken yet and the issue will be discussed at a BCCI meet in July.