This is how Virat Kohli is preparing for England tour
What's the story
Indian Test captain Virat Kohli is likely to skip the one-off Test against Afghanistan to focus on the tour of England. According to reports, the batsman will play for English county side Surrey, in order to prepare himself against Joe Root's side. India are set to play Afghanistan on June 14 in Bengaluru just weeks after the Indian Premier League.
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Kohli taking the English tour seriously
Kohli's decision to turn up for Surrey is a move that should be lauded, as it will give him the base to prepare for the big hurdle against the likes of James Anderson & Co. The 29-year-old Kohli had a disastrous tour last time India visited England. He could only manage 134 runs in five Tests at a lowly average of 13.40.
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All you need to know about Kohli's county tour
He is the first Indian player to represent Surrey. The skipper is expected to play three four-day games against Hampshire, Somerset and Yorkshire. Fellow Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara will turn out for Yorkshire. Surrey open their campaign against Hampshire at the Oval in London in April 20. Kohli's first game could be against Hampshire which starts from June 9 in Southampton.
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Kohli joins an illustrated list of Indian cricketers
Here are some famous Indian players, who played in county cricket. Rahul Dravid (Kent), Kapil Dev (Northamptonshire and Worcestershire), Sourav Ganguly (Glamorgan, Lancashire and Northamptonshire), Virender Sehwag (Leicestershire), Sachin Tendulkar (Yorkshire), R Ashwin (Worcestershire) and Bishen Singh Bedi (Northamptonshire).
Twitter Post
VVS Laxman's message for Kohli
Virat Kohli 's decision to play county cricket before the England series shows his drive and commitment to achieve excellence. I am sure not only him,but Team India will do exceedingly well in the England series. Best wishes!
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) March 24, 2018
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India set for a tough battle against England
India are set to play five Tests against England. The first test will commence from August 1 at Edgbaston. Before the Test battle, the two sides will be pitted against each other in three ODIs and the same number of T20Is.