Kohli to skip Surrey stint after injuring neck

Indian Captain Virat Kohli has suffered a neck injury during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match and will not play for English county championship side Surrey next month, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday.

Batsman Kohli had signed a one-month deal to represent Surrey in June to prepare for a test series against England this year, but injured his neck while fielding for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers Hyderabad last week.

"Kohli, who was scheduled to play for Surrey in the month of June, has been ruled out from participating," said BCCI in a statement. "This decision was taken following assessments by the BCCI medical team, subsequent scans and a specialist visit. Skipper will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI medical team.”

The Indian batsman is scheduled to undergo a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on June 15 and the BCCI expects him to be fully fit for the tour of England.

India will begin their tour of England, in July, with three T20Is which will be followed by three one-day internationals. They will then take on the hosts in a five-Test series starting in August.

Ajinkya Rahane was earlier this month picked to lead India against Afghanistan, who play their maiden test in Bengaluru in June, keeping in mind Kohli's county commitments.