Kohli officially signs for Surrey, set to miss Afghanistan Test

Speaking after signing for the club, Virat Kohli said: “It has long been an ambition of mine to play county cricket and I am thankful to Alec Stewart and Surrey for allowing me the opportunity to join them during their 2018 season. I can’t wait to get to the Kia Oval.”

He become the fourth Test eligible Indian player in county cricket this year with fellow batsman Cheteshwar Pujara currently at Yorkshire and seamers Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron plying their trade at Sussex and Leicestershire respectively.

Kohli, who won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC World Cricketer of the Year in 2017, averages more than 50 in all three formats of the international game.

Since his Test debut in 2011, the middle order batsman has scored 5554 runs at an average of 53.40 in the five-day game while his 9588 ODI runs have come at a rate of 58.10 per innings.

After taking over the Test captaincy during India’s tour of Australia in 2014/15, Kohli has led his country to the top of the ICC rankings with 21 Test wins from 34 matches.

In 2017, Kohli was also named as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World and as captain of the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year.

The 29-year-old will fly to England after the conclusion of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Virat will represent English County side Surrey and will be available for all cricket throughout the month until the close of Surrey’s trip to Scarborough to face Yorkshire.

As he prepares to face England in a 5-match Test series, the Indian skipper wants to leave no stones unturned to dominate the English conditions.

The right-hand batsman will also miss the historic Test match against Afghanistan, which also marks the neighbouring country entry in red-ball cricket.

In the middle of IPL Indian skipper Virat Kohli has signed a deal with a new team.