The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Thursday confirmed that captain Virat Kohli will skip his English county stint with Surrey ahead of the England tour because of a neck injury he suffered during the Indian Premier League.
The 29-year-old injured his neck while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17, a BCCI release said. Kohli did take part in RCB’s final match of the season, against Rajasthan Royals, after that.
Kohli was earlier scheduled to make his County debut in the month of June ahead of India’s three-month long England tour, but has been ruled out from participating by the team doctors. There were also reports that the 29-year-old had suffered a slipped disc.
This decision was taken following assessments by the BCCI’s medical team, subsequent scans, and a visit to a specialist doctor. The board also revealed that Kohli will undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of its medical team.
Kohli is now slated to undergo a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru from June 15 ahead of the England tour. Kohli was left out of Afghanistan’s debut Test, against India, in Bengaluru next month because of his Surrey stint. India will play two Twenty20 Internationals against Ireland, starting on June 27, where Kohli has been named captain of the Indian team, ahead of the England series.