Will Virat Kohli play for Middlesex in English County following Test retirement?

Despite Virat Kohli's recent announcement of his retirement from Test cricket there remains a possibility of seeing the 36-year-old batting juggernaut grace English soil this year. According to a report in the Guardian, Middlesex, an English domestic cricket club, has expressed interest in securing the services of the former India captain to play at the prestigious Lord's Cricket Ground.

Middlesex wants Virat Kohli to play for them

While Kohli has concluded his red-ball career on the international stage, the door is not entirely closed for his participation in English cricket. Should an agreement be reached among all involved parties, he could potentially feature in County Championship or the Metro Bank Cup, England's domestic one-day competition.

However, due to his existing contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kohli is ineligible to participate in either The Hundred or the T20 Blast. The BCCI's regulations currently prevent players under their contract from competing in overseas T20 leagues.

“Virat Kohli is the most iconic player of his generation, so of course we are interested in having that conversation,” Director of cricket at Middlesex Alan Coleman was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

The Guardian report further elaborated on Middlesex's schedule, noting that the club, currently aiming for promotion to the top tier of the County Championship, will not be playing their championship matches at Lord's during the peak summer months. They only have one Metro Bank Cup fixture scheduled at the iconic venue in August. Middlesex is then slated to return to Lord's in September for their Division Two encounters against Derbyshire and Gloucestershire, with the club harboring hopes that Virat Kohli could be available to participate in these matches.

Intriguingly, should Middlesex successfully negotiate a deal with Kohli for their final round of County Championship fixtures, it could potentially set the stage for a reunion with a familiar adversary. Middlesex is scheduled to play a match against Lancashire at Old Trafford, the home ground of veteran former England fast bowler James Anderson. The prospect of Virat Kohli potentially forming a formidable middle-order partnership with New Zealand's Kane Williamson at Middlesex is likely to generate considerable excitement among cricket enthusiasts. Such a collaboration between two modern batting greats would undoubtedly be a major attraction for fans.

Middlesex would likely aim to secure Kohli's services through a short-term contract, potentially leveraging his existing connection to London. The former Indian captain owns a residence in the city, which he shares with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and their two children.

Moreover, Kohli has previously expressed his desire to experience playing in the County Championship. He had even signed a deal with Surrey in the lead-up to India's tour of England in 2018. However, a neck injury unfortunately prevented him from participating in English domestic cricket, causing the agreement to fall through. Despite this setback, Kohli went on to have an outstanding Test series against England that year, earning him recognition as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year.

BCCI will have a herculean task to find Kohli's replacement for no.4 spot in India's Test set-up with England tour approaching. India and England will play a five-match Test series which wills start from June 20.