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File image of Virat Kohli.© AFP
Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket has begun speculation over what forms of cricket might he play next, and some interesting suggestions have popped up. With the legendary Indian batter now only being actively involved only in ODI cricket and franchise cricket in the IPL, Kohli has received an invitation to play the County Championship in England. Kohli, unlike several legendary Indian cricketers, has never played County cricket in England. Alan Coleman, the director of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, has shown interest.
"Virat Kohli is the most iconic player of his generation, so of course we are interested in having that conversation," said Coleman to The Guardian.
Kohli was previously set to play for Surrey ahead of India's tour of England in 2018. However, he was ruled out of the stint due to a neck injury.
The likes of South Africa's AB de Villiers and New Zealand's Kane Williamson have played domestic cricket in England in recent years, appearing in the T20 Blast and The Hundred respectively. In their cases, the teams collaborated with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to orchestrate the deals. As per the report by the Guardian, any deal to bring Kohli to England would also involve such a collaboration.
Kohli retired from Test cricket in May, announcing it just one month before the start of India's marathon five-Test tour of England. Having slammed 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, Kohli called time on his career from the longest format of the game. He also retired as India's most successful Test captain, having won 40 matches out of 68.
Kohli, as a result, is left with only two active forms of cricket - playing for India in ODI cricket and for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. The 36-year-old is now aiming to win his first IPL title with RCB.
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