A neck injury has spoiled the India captain Virat Kohli's much-hyped participation in English County Championship. Kohli will require a three-week rehabilitation to recover from the injury, the BCCI said. The 29-year-old will undergo a fitness test on June 15, which will confirm his availability for the initial phase of the UK limited-overs tour starting with the two T20 Internationals against Ireland in last week of June.
Kohli suffered a neck injury while fielding during an IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad on 17th May. 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, a BCCI release said.
Kohli 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 Kohli will regain full fitness ahead of India's upcoming tours to Ireland and England," BCCI official said. Indian captain had decided to miss the one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting June 14 in Bengaluru, to appear in county matches.
Kohli had visited a hospital in Mumbai for a check-up and it was reported that he is suffering from a slipped disc injury and will not be playing for Surrey ahead of the UK tour. However, a top BCCI official clarified that it was a case of "neck sprain" and not a "slipped disc injury." But there was no denying Kohli's tremendous workload during the past one year. The BCCI has already put a program in place where the centrally-contracted cricketers' workload and injury management is monitored through the National Cricket Academy.
