Virat Kohli may join Surrey to tune up for India’s Test series in England

Surrey have confirmed their interest in signing Virat Kohli on a possible short-term deal before India’s Test series in England this summer.

Reports on Saturday suggested a deal has already been struck, with the India captain expected to miss the one-off Test with Afghanistan in Bangalore on 20 June and a Twenty20 series with Ireland in order to tune up for English conditions.

Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, insists this is not the case but should the timings work and the Board of Control for Cricket in India give it the all-clear then the draw of signing the sport’s biggest name is undeniable.

“I did inquire a while back about Kohli when it appeared to be a possible option for him to play county cricket but was told by the BCCI that India were playing Ireland in T20s and an inaugural Test v Afghanistan in June,” said Stewart. “If he does now become available we would look at it again to see if it could potentially work around our current overseas arrangements.”

Surrey already have Mitchell Marsh as their overseas player for this season but Australia’s five-match one-day series against England, starting on 13 June, would open up a three-week gap for a replacement. It would in theory give Kohli three First Division fixtures – against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, Somerset at Guildford and Yorkshire at Scarborough – before India’s tour begins with the first of three Twenty20s, at Old Trafford, on 3 July.

The five-Test series that starts at Edgbaston on 1 August is what sits firmly in Kohli’s sights with success against the red Dukes ball in England the one glaring gap in his otherwise stellar cricketing CV. The 29-year-old’s previous Test tour of England, in 2014, brought a return of 134 runs from 10 innings as India succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. Kohli has said that he was “thankful” for the effect this had on his career.

Speaking about the chance to play county cricket in future during India’s 4-0 home victory over England in 2016 – a series dominated by his batting – Kohli said: “I would love a month to get used to playing in the conditions and understand what the wickets play like in that phase of the year.”