Virat Kohli, India’s experienced cricketer, is likely to play some county cricket before the Test series against England in June-July  2025. Kohli was in terrible form recently in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
He struggled with the ball sliding away on several occasions as Australian bowlers surrounded him. Kohli’s frailty outside off stump was exposed during the series, with all of his dismissals coming from his outside edge being caught behind the wickets.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Virat Kohli scored 190 runs across five Tests at a miserable average of 23.75. He struck s hundred in the first Test but started fading away since.
Virat Kohli eyeing county cricket stint ahead of England Test tour
Virat Kohli plans to play some county cricket in preparation for India’s Test series against England. However, that is only likely if Royal Challengers Bengaluru fails to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs this season.
If the RCB makes the playoffs, Kohli will have little time to play county cricket. The IPL 2025 final is on May 25, while India’s Test series versus England begins on June 20 at Leeds, Headingley, RevSportz reported.
If RCB makes the final, Kohli will only have 14 days to play county cricket and adjust to playing in English conditions. If this happens, he is unlikely to play in English domestic cricket.
Virat Kohli is a high-profile name in the Indian Premier League, and it appears doubtful that RCB will release him for County cricket if their team makes the playoffs. With so much at risk in the IPL, the 36-year-old is unlikely to play domestic cricket.
Kohli is in contention to be RCB’s captain this season, making him an even more crucial player for his side. He is now the highest run-scorer in IPL history, and he was also the leading run-getter the previous season.
Gautam Gambhir and Ravi Shastri ask Indian players to play county cricket
Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach, emphasized the importance of playing domestic cricket in preparation for red-ball cricket. While Gambhir did not identify names, he urged Test players to make themselves available for the Ranji Trophy regularly.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently invited Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play domestic cricket to improve their Test performance. Shastri believes that domestic cricket will allow both of these players to extend their Test careers.
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