MUMBAI: Virat Kohli’s stint in county cricket, and the England tour that follows it, is under a cloud, with Mumbai Mirror reporting that the India captain had been advised against aggravating a back injury.
According to the tabloid, Kohli has been diagnosed with a slipped disc. And while it doesn’t require him to undergo surgery, doctors have reportedly told him that further strain on the “herniated disc” could result in him missing out on the England Tests that follow.
The BCCI issued the following statement on the status of Kohli’s fitness:
“Team India Captain Mr Virat Kohli suffered a neck injury while fielding during Match 51 of the VIVO IPL between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad on 17th May 2018 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
“Mr Kohli, who was scheduled to play for Surrey CCC in the month of June, has been ruled out from participating.
“This decision was taken following assessments by the BCCI Medical team, subsequent scans, and a specialist visit.
“The Team India captain will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team.
“He will begin training and subsequently undergo a fitness test at the NCA in Bengaluru from June 15. The BCCI Medical Team is confident that Mr Kohli will regain full fitness ahead of India’s upcoming tours to Ireland and England.”
Kohli had been set to play for Surrey in the County Championship as part of his preparations for the five Test series against England later in the summer. He is keen to get used to the conditions in England and improve on his average of 13.40 across 10 innings on his only previous Test tour of the region in 2014.
India travel to England for three T20Is and three ODIs in July before the first Test at Edgbaston on 1 August.
