With the motive to improve his batting prowess in English conditions, India skipper Virat Kohli has signed a contract to play county cricket for Surrey in June. However, Kohli’s maiden county stint seems to be in jeopardy after he was diagnosed with a slipped disc (herniated disc).

As per the reports in Mumbai Mirror, the problem was identified by one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country, who practices at a Khar hospital.

Reports further suggest the doctors in Khar Hospital told Kohli that there has been some damage to the spinal nerves, and there was a chance he may have to miss some part of the England tour, beginning July, if the injury worsened. The doctors, however, were certain that the Indian captain didn’t require surgery at this stage.

“Kohli was not to feature in the historic maiden Test match against Afghanistan next month, and now with this injury, his county stint will not take off either,” a BCCI official who is aware of the prognosis told Mumbai Mirror.

Virat missing out on a county stint will certainly disappoint the England fans as much as the man himself. Even though Kohli has conquered more or less every condition with his willow, he has not been able to perform at his best in England. With just 134 runs in five Test matches at a dismal average of 13.40, doing well in England is a top priority for the India captain.

Earlier, it was reported that Kohli's stint with Surrey will begin on June 1 with a one day game against Kent at Beckenham. He was supposed to play the second and third match of the Royal London Cup on June 3 and 6 against Middlesex and Glamorgan respectively.

The four-day campaign is scheduled to start against Hampshire in Southampton on June 9 to 12 followed by a match against Somerset (at Guildford from June 20-23) and concluding with Yorkshire game at Scarborough (June 25 to 28).

On the other hand, India’s tour of England will kick off from July 3 where they will play three T20Is and as many ODIs before featuring in a five-match Test series from August 1.