Virat Kohli will be missing the Test match against Afghanistan. (Source: Express photo by Kevin D’Souza) Virat Kohli will be missing the Test match against Afghanistan. (Source: Express photo by Kevin D’Souza)

Committee of Administrators chief Vinod Rai said that Indian captain Virat Kohli will be missing India’s Test match against Afghanistan and will instead be playing Surrey in the County circuit. “Virat Kohli will be playing for the top English County side Surrey in the month of June,” Rai is quoted as saying PTI.

“The BCCI has allowed him to fully focus on the England Test series along with Cheteshwar Pujara (Yorkshire), Ravichandran Ashwin (Warwickshire) and Ishant Sharma (Sussex). Virat will miss the Test match against Afghanistan in Bangalore from June 14-18,” said the CoA chief. “The decision has been taken in consultation with the players as we felt after the South Africa series, our Test team needs more time to acclimatise before the England Test series. The BCCI were in talks with the various counties as we wanted our main players to get county exposure,” Rai added.

Furthermore, a few of the seniors would also be playing for the India A team coached by Rahul Dravid. “There will be a few seniors — among Test specialists, who will leave for UK in early June along with Rahul’s India A team. I can’t say how many — anything between two to four senior team players will be there from start of A tour. A few will play the Afghanistan Test match and then leave for England. But yes, atleast 7 to 8 players, who are all Test team specialists will have to be in England in June,” said Rai. “It is important to play red ball cricket in England in June as the entire July will be the limited overs series (three ODIs and 3 T20 Internationals). So in June, they play red ball cricket, switch to white ball in July and then the Test series starts in August,” he added.

The Test match in June is set to be the first time that Afghanistan play a game in the longest format of the game. It precedes India’s tour of England that starts on July 3, 2018 with a three-match T20I series. That will be followed by an ODI series of as many matches that starts on July 12 before the lengthy five-match Test series that starts on August 1, 2018 and is scheduled to end on September 11, 2018.

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