Virat Kohli was ruled out of his Surrey stint. (Source: PTI)
With Indian skipper Virat Kohli getting ruled out of the county stint for Surrey due to a neck injury, coach Ravi Shastri once again iterated the need for reduction in the workload of Indian cricketers. Speaking to reporters, Shastri said that Kohli is a human, just like everyone else. “(He had to skip the county stint) because he is not a top dog. He is not a machine but a human being,” the Indian cricket team coach was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.
He further went on to add that even a rocket fuel would not have helped him. “It is not a case of putting rocket fuel up his backside and getting him on the park. Even a top dog can’t be given rocket fuel up his backside,” Shastri said.
Shastri’s comments came after Surrey Cricket Club expressed disappointment on their official website regarding Kohli’s injury. SCC released a statement saying that Kohli will not be representing them this season. “It’s hugely disappointing that Virat won’t be joining Surrey for the month of June but we understand injuries happen and we have to respect the decision of the BCCI medical team to pull him from his stint with us,” Alec Stewart, Surrey Director of Cricket, said.
Kohli was scheduled to represent Surrey in six games in June, as a way for him to prepare for the upcoming tour to England. The 29-year old will undergo physical rehabilitation under the supervision of BCCI officials next month and will have a fitness test starting from June 15. In a press release on Thursday, the India cricket board expressed confidence that the batsman will be fit to return for the Enland tour.
“The BCCI Medical Team is confident that Mr Kohli will regain full fitness ahead of India’s upcoming tours to Ireland and England,” the release said.