The Surrey County Cricket Club has been named the South African batsman Theunis de Bruyn as a replacement for Virat Kohli, as the Indian captain failed to join the Club for the coming season with a neck injury. The Club announced the signing of the 25-year-old on Friday (15 June).

Kohli was scheduled to play 3 one-day matches and 3 four-day games for Surrey, but a neck injury that he sustained during the Indian Premier League 2018 ruled him out from participating in the county cricket.

Meanwhile, De Bruyn, who made his international debut for Proteas in 2017 and played only two T20 Internationals, will play against Somerset and Yorkshire for Surrey in the County Championship.

As per reports in Surrey's official website, the right-hander revealed that it was always his dream to play County Cricket and he is excited with the fact that it is going to materialize with Surrey. Bruyn added, “It has always been one of my ambitions to play county cricket.”

While, Director of cricket Alec Stewart said of Theunis, “With Jason Roy and Tom Curran involved in the current one-day series against Australia and Ben Foakes and Sam Curran representing England Lions, Theunis will provide vital reinforcement for our next two County Championship matches.”

Noteworthy, Kohli had signed the deal with Surrey keeping his awful previous record in England in mind in a bid to do well this time here while playing County cricket, but a neck sprain did not give him the opportunity to taste County Cricket ahead of India’s grueling tour next month.