Injured Virat Kohli ruled out of Surrey county stint

Mumbai: Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been ruled out of his much-anticipated first English county stint due to a neck injury.

Confirming the news, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the 29-year-old sustained the injury during his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Indian Premier League penultimate clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

“Team India Captain Virat Kohli suffered a neck injury while fielding during Match 51 of the IPL between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad on 17th May 2018 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru,” a statement from the BCCI read.

“Kohli, who was scheduled to play for Surrey CCC in the month of June, has been ruled out from participating,” the statement added.

The country’s cricket board further confirmed that Kohli would remain in India to undergo a period of rehabilitation before he would have a fitness test in Bengaluru on June 15 ahead of series against England.
“The BCCI Medical Team is confident that Kohli will regain full fitness ahead of India’s upcoming tours to Ireland and England,” the BCCI said.

Earlier this month, Kohli had signed a deal with top English county side Surrey ahead of England Test tour later this summer and was all set to miss his country’s inaugural Test match against Afghanistan, starting in Bengaluru on June 14.

Kohli had penned down the deal with Surrey in order to prepare himself for India’s blockbuster five-match Test series against England later this year, beginning at Edgbaston on August 1. (ANI)