Mumbai: BCCI announced India’s squad for the tour to Ireland and England on Tuesday (May 8) with Virat Kohli to lead the side in the T20I against the Irish. But the national board and selectors seem to have overlooked the fact that Kohli is contracted to play in the English county for the month for Surrey as he prepares for the series against England that starts on July 3 with the first T20I in Manchester.
“Kohli will be available for all cricket throughout the month [of June] until the close of Surrey’s trip to Scarborough to face Yorkshire [June 25 to 28],” says Surrey’s website in relation to the India captain’s availability. If that were true, the trip could clash with India’s T20 against Ireland on June 27 and June 29.
Surrey have repeatedly made it clear that Kohli is available to them for the month of June with Director of Cricket and former England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart saying, “He will be here for three championship games and a minimum of three 50 over games that can help Surrey and it can help Virat by providing cricket for him. He wanted to play county cricket and it may help him in getting ready for the Test series,” as per Sportstar. In June, Surrey play three 50 over games against Kent, Middlesex and Glamorgan before facing Hampshire, Somerset and Yorkshire in four-day games.
Should Kohli play against Yorkshire in Scarborough and the contest goes to the fourth day, how will Kohli be back in time to Ireland for the T20 just a few hours later remains everyone’s guess. Not sure what the selectors had in mind when picking the squads?
