Virat Kohli set to travel to England? Former India skipper likely to return to red-ball cricket

Indian batter Virat Kohli could, after all, play cricket in England this summer. The 36-year-old is in line to return to red-ball cricket, as reported by The Guardian. According to the British newspaper, Middlesex are interested in signing Virat Kohli for a few games. The 36-year-old could play a handful of county matches and ODI matches during the course of the season. 

Alan Coleman, who happens to be the Director of Cricket for the Middlesex team, was quoted by the Guardian as saying, “Virat Kohli is the most iconic player of his generation, so of course we are interested in having that conversation.” As of this moment there is nothing concrete, with Coleman just stating an interest. 

Kohli retired from the Test format on Monday after playing 123 games and scoring 9230 runs. The 36-year-old also captained India in 68 games and won 40 matches. This is the most by any Indian cricket captain in the longest format of the game. If the move does go through, this will be Kohli’s first stint in county cricket. 

Both Kohli and Rohit Sharma could potentially explore a short-term deal in county cricket. If India’s tour of Bangladesh doesn’t go through, fans will have to wait till the end of the year to see the iconic duo play ODI cricket. Both veteran batters have declared their intention to prolong their 50-over career. 

Rain delays start of RCB vs KKR IPL 2025 encounter

Meanwhile, constant rain in Bengaluru meant that the wait for the IPL 2025 restart continued. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to play Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. Toss was delayed due to constant downpour, as the likelihood of a full game was washed away. 

The likes of Phil Salt and Josh Hazlewood are back with RCB but will most likely miss the playoff matches. KKR have to win this game as they stand on the cusp of early elimination from the tournament. IPL 2024 winners lost their previous game at home to Chennai Super Kings and this is their penultimate game of the season.