Anushka staying with Kohli in England angers team manager

The debate of wives and girlfriends accompanying Indian cricketers on foreign tours has taken a different twist after team manager Sunil Dev questioned actress Anushka Sharma's stay with boyfriend Virat Kohli during the recently-concluded Test series in England.

The under-performing Kohli has come under severe criticism for his poor showing with the bat during the series after he finished with just 134 runs in the five matches. Many fans and some quarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in India have blamed Anushka's presence behind the right-hander's poor form with the bat as India were beaten 1-3 in the five-match series.

BCCI's decision to allow the Bollywood actress to stay with the cricketer has snowballed into a controversy after Dev just stopped short of saying that wives are not a problem but is against girlfriends joining the players on tours.

"I didn't know who gave this permission and from where it was supposed to be taken. Whether this was been done before or not I am not aware of it. But I will definitely speak to the BCCI about what I feel and submit my report," Dev told a television channel.

- Should BCCI ban wives and girlfriends on tours?

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Asked whether girlfriends travelling with the players on tour is against Indian culture, Dev said: "As you said. Yes, I agree with you. But I won't make any comment until I meet Board members.

"I am bound with a contract with the Board."

Kohli and Anushka have been grabbing headlines ever since they were first spotted together during the tour of New Zealand. During the England series, the couple were back in the news when it was reported that the actress was staying in the same hotel as Kohli with permission from the BCCI.

- Should BCCI ban wives and girlfriends on tours?

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