India skipper Virat Kohli hit the nets at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) facility on Wednesday (May 30), as per reports in Times of India. Kohli had suffered a neck injury while fielding in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s last league match against the Rajasthan Royals on May 19.

Subsequently, Virat’s much-anticipated county stint with Surrey came to a halt as he was advised by BCCI’s medical team to take rest before the all-important England tour, scheduled to start on July 3.

TOI reports further stated that Kohli arrived at the BKC facility’s indoor nets early afternoon with Team India assistant coach Sanjay Bangar. He spent a valuable few hours before wrapping up for the day and is expected to continue with a similar schedule over the next week.

India are scheduled to play two T20Is against Ireland on June 27 and 29 before taking a flight for England where they are slated to feature in a full-fledged bilateral series (3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests).

“He’s begun with a relatively lighter stint at the indoor nets. In a couple of days, he’ll be back on the field and by the end of the first two weeks (of June) – around the15th – he’ll be in Bangalore for the fitness test and to begin training,” a Team India source told TOI.

“Surrey was an option; the England tour is a responsibility. He’s taken a break whenever there was a need for it. That’s why he sat out of the last T20 in South Africa and did not play in the Nidahas Trophy. It shows that priorities are well in place. It's unfortunate that Virat hasn't been able to leave for Surrey but recovering fully in time is the more important thing,” the source added.

With the motive to improve his batting performances in England, Kohli had opted to play county cricket for Surrey. 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.