India’s top two batsmen, captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, have been visibly struggling in red-ball cricket. Their recent poor performances in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) have put them even more under the scanner, with several fans and critics asking them to give up in the longer format.

While Kohli could manage 190 runs in 9 innings at 23.75, Rohit’s numbers were much worse at just 31 runs at a paltry average of 6.20. So much so that Rohit had even been dropped for the final Test, leading to speculation that he might have played his last Test match for India.

Therefore, given that the next major assignment would be India’s tour of England in June, both players could have benefited from playing some county cricket to acclimatise to English conditions ahead of the series.

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Why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won’t be able to play county cricket?

However, it is now understood, contrary to multiple reports, that Rohit and Virat will not have a window to appear in a county game.

This is because one round of county matches ends on May 26 and the next begins on June 22, while the England series begins on June 20. Between May 26 and June 20, there are no county games.

With uncertainty looming over Rohit’s Test future, the five-match England Test series will definitely be the last chance for Kohli to script a Test turnaround.

Virat, who last played a domestic match in 2012, was left highly exposed during the BGT in Australia, where he was often caught delivering deliveries on the fourth line of stump. The Indian maestro’s form in England last time was also not that good as he managed to score just 249 runs in 9 innings at an average of less than 30. Therefore, taking part in county cricket could have served as an ideal opportunity. to hone your skills and rebuild your confidence.

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