Alec Stewart Reveals Surrey is Ready Welcome Virat Kohli Yet Again

Surrey County Cricket Club director and former England wicketkeeper-batsman, Alec Stewart recently admitted that they are ready to welcome back Team India skipper Virat Kohli.

Previously, the 29-year-old Kohli signed for the County for June in a bid to prepare for the ongoing England tour. However, he failed to make it to the United Kingdom (UK) after sustaining a shoulder injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL) while leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Kohli pulled out of the much-hyped maiden stint and instead focussed on his rehabilitation programme.

Veteran Stewart while talking ahead of the second Test at Lord’s noted that he is ready to welcome Kohli if the itineraries match.

“Never say never. I am all for having world-class players. And he is the best player in the world,” Stewart said.

 

“But again, itineraries — India’s itinerary, his own itinerary — may or may not allow. We will certainly take a look at it if it is possible,” he added.

However, Stewart justified Kohli’s decision to skip the County stint before the all-important tour against the Three Lions. Stewart said that Surrey had opened discussions with Kohli as far back as 18 months before India’s ongoing England tour.

Opting out from County stint did not affect Virat Kohli

Some speculations missing the County stint will hamper the preparations of Kohli. However, Stewart didn’t think like that. Kohli himself shut all the criticism with a brilliant hundred at Edgbaston and followed it with another fighting half-century.

Stewart said that the “greatest player currently playing” had come to England with a plan.

“That is because he is the best player in the world. Whether he played with Surrey or not, that would have little impact on how he went out and played in a Test match,” Alec Stewart says.

 

“He played beautifully. He has obviously thought through about how he is going to come and play in England against the moving ball, batting outside of his crease, playing the ball later. All these sorts of things, the great players can do. And he is the greatest player currently playing,” he concluded.