In an otherwise glorious international career, the England tour of 2014 is nothing less than a blot for Virat Kohli.
Expectations were sky high from Kohli when India toured England, as the team looked to turn their overseas fortunes around.
India lost the series 3-1, and Kohli was one of the worst performers. He averaged just 13.40 in ten innings with a top score of 39. The 29-year old was dismissed for single-digit scores on six occasions in the series.
Kohli, however, has come a long way since then. Virat is arguably the best batsman in the world right now. The reigning ICC player of the year has looked almost invincible in recent times. And with India gearing up to tour England again, he is keen to make amends for his horror show on the last tour.
The India skipper has said he is keen to play county cricket ahead of the series.
“Playing county cricket will help me improve my game,” the 29-year-old batsman told NDTV. “I think it makes things more challenging and more competitive and there are no guarantees whether you are going to do well even if you go in advance.
“It’s just about giving yourself more opportunity to get used to the conditions that you are not used to,” he added.
Media reports are suggesting Kohli would join Surrey for a brief stint in June. Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director, has also expressed interest in signing Kohli.
However, the news has not gone down well with all. Former England paceman Bob Willis slammed the possibility of Kohli playing county cricket.
“I can’t stand overseas players in county cricket,” he told Sky Sports.
“The only way to improve our Test team is to have as many England-qualified players playing in the County Championship as possible. Instead, they’re going to pay Kohli, presumably, five figures a match so he can hone his skills in English conditions before a Test series. It’s a nonsense.”
The much-awaited series will see India play England in three T20 matches, three ODIs and five Tests.
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