It is a development everyone concerned with Indian cricket may either have hoped for or expected. Now we can confirm this. Virat Kohli will play county cricket this summer. The India skipper is set to fly to England immediately after the Indian Premier League (IPL) final on May 27. The moves of Kohli have been carefully planned and the county stint is thought to be central to Team India’s strategy for the July- September England series. The obvious fallout of this is that the skipper will not take part in the Test against Afghanistan, scheduled in Bangalore from June 14. Historic importance to the Bangalore Test notwithstanding, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to release a few key players to England in view of the challenges awaiting them in England where the Indian team has not been well in the last two series; in the Tests that is. Which county will Kohli be representing is not being disclosed but it is likely that it could be Essex. (This piece of information could not be independently verified). It is also a likely a few other Test regulars may also follow suit – an indication to that effect was given by Shikhar Dhawan yesterday. As is already known, Cheteshwar Pujara (Yorkshire) and Ishant Sharma (Sussex) have already signed up for county sides. Kohli had dropped hints of playing in the county cricket after the Chennai Test against England in 2016. It is because of his none-tooimpressive record in England. During the 2014 season, he had managed 134 in 10 innings at an average of 13.40. That said, Kohli of 2018 is far different from Kohli of 2014. Arguably, he is the best in the world currently. Kohli and the team management are aware that runs from the skipper are key to the team’s fortunes in the series in which India will play five Tests. The Tests will be preceded by three T20Is and as many ODIs. If Kohli were to fly after IPL , he will have been assured of match practice in at least three first class games besides a couple of tour games which the BCCI is planning to organise prior to the Test series (the last ODI is on July 17 and the first Test is from August 1). After a reasonably impressive showing in the Tests against South Africa and subsequent wins in white ball cricket, the team management is gung-ho about the chances in England. And it does not want to leave anything to chance in its preparation, something that was not necessarily the best before the South Africa series. England will face a different India, a different Kohli too.