Virat Kohli Joins Surrey for June

India skipper Virat Kohli has joined county outfit Surrey for the month of June. Surrey announced the news on Thursday (May 3), confirming that the 29-year old will be available for all cricket throughout the month until the close of Surrey’s away game to Yorkshire.

#WelcomeKohlihttps://t.co/wP6yVlo240 pic.twitter.com/bNVbVhf5r9

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 3, 2018

The stint is seen by many as an ideal preparation for Kohli ahead of the tough tour of England. The India star would be desperate to do well in the United Kingdom (UK) this time around.

Last time, India had visited England, Kohli had endured a disastrous outing.

India lost the series 3-1, and Kohli was one of the worst performers. He averaged just 13.40 in ten innings with a top score of 39.

Kohli, however, has come a long way since then. The reigning ICC Player of the Year has looked almost invincible in recent times. The right-handed batsman averages more than 50 across formats of the international game. His batting has gone to another level since he became the captain.

Kohli has scored 21 Test hundreds including six double tons with all coming since he became the captain. He has also led India to the top of the ICC rankings with 21 Test wins from 34 matches.

In 2017, the star batter was named as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World and as captain of the ICC Test and ODI Team of the Year respectively.

Kohli expressed his delight over signing the deal.

“It has long been an ambition of mine to play county cricket and I am thankful to Alec Stewart and Surrey for allowing me the opportunity to join them during their 2018 season. I can’t wait to get to the Kia Oval,” he said.

Alec Stewart, Surrey’s Director of Cricket, also welcomed the signing, saying: “We are thrilled to have signed the biggest name in world cricket for the month of June.

 

“Playing and training alongside Virat will be a massive benefit for our players who will have the opportunity to learn so much from him. At a time when there is much discussion around the future of county cricket, the arrival of Virat should give our domestic game a massive boost and positive exposure around the cricketing world which in turn can benefit every county,” he added.

Meanwhile, with Virat Kohli making himself available for the entire, it is now clear that he will miss the one-off Test against Afghanistan.

The game will be played from June 14 in Bengaluru. It would be Afghanistan’s first-ever Test.

Also, Read: Afghanistan Set to Play Test Against Australia, Confirms ACB CEO