Virat Kohli se unirá al equipo del condado: Manjrekar quiere que la estrella opte por las pruebas en lugar de la IPL para extender su carrera en la pelota roja

Sanjay Manjrekar ha aconsejado a Virat Kohli que juegue en el campeonato del condado para prolongar su carrera en las pruebas. Pero esto significa que el ex capitán de India tendrá que perderse la IPL 2025.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that the only way for Virat Kohli to prolong his Test career is by playing more red-ball matches. The ex-Indian skipper is under fire for his poor performance in the longest format of the game and his technique that has let him down in the recent past. Making a bold suggestion, Manjrekar advised Kohli to join a County side to prepare for IND vs ENG Tests in June. Essentially, this would mean that the star would have to miss IPL 2025, something that is highly unlikely.

Virat Kohli should join County side like Pujara did: Manjrekar

Speaking on Star Sports’ Deep Point podcast, Manjrekar opined that Kohli should join a County Championship side like how veteran Cheteshwar Pujara did. He pointed out that the County season will begin in April while the IND vs ENG Test series is set to commence in June, giving ample time for Kohli to prepare for the Tests. He added that playing in England’s domestic circuit would be a very sensible move for the out-of-form batter.

“Kohli needs to play a lot of red-ball cricket. The first Test in England is in June, while the County Championship begins in April. He could join a county team, as Pujara did, and gain valuable match practice. Playing county cricket could be a very sensible move for him,” Manjrekar said.

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It is pertinent to point out that the County Championships will clash with IPL 2025. Should Kohli decide to participate in it, then he would have to skip IPL 2025. While this could come as a big blow to RCB, it is much-needed for the star to rediscover his mojo.

It was expected that Virat would take part in the second leg of Ranji Trophy, at least for Delhi’s first game against Saurashtra. However, the ex-Indian skipper has pulled out after informing BCCI that he has a neck injury. He is unlikely to feature in the second match as it clashes with IND vs ENG ODI series which he will surely be a part of as a warm-up before ICC Champions Trophy 2025. While the selectors and team management have decided to give Kohli a long rope, it remains to be seen how far he can take his Test career, given his poor form over the last four year. In Australia, he only managed to score 190 runs in 9 innings, triggering a debate on whether he should be dropped from the side.