After Test Retirement, Virat Kohli May Make Sensational Red-Ball Return

English County club Middlesex is preparing to initiate the conversation with Virat Kohli to sign him for the English County Championship (first-class) and their List A competition - Metro Bank Cup - for the upcoming season. 

Middlesex, which is based out of the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, have revealed their interest in signing the former Indian skipper, who recently retired from the Test team after having retired from the T20 set up after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024. 

Alan Coleman, director of cricket at Middlesex, told the Guardian, “Virat Kohli is the most iconic player of his generation, so of course we are interested in having that conversation.”

As a contracted player with the BCCI, Kohli won’t be allowed to play in either T20 Blast or the Hundred, a part of ECB’s domestic competition, but he can play in the first-class and 50-over matches.

How interested the former Indian skipper will be to continue in the red-ball matches is not known yet, but given the fact that he still harbours the hope of playing the 2027 ODI World Cup for India, playing the Metro Bank One-day Cup will be a big help for him to keep him prepared. 

India don’t have any ODI series scheduled till August, when they are slated to play against Bangladesh, but if that series doesn’t go ahead due to political tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka, then Kohli will next be seen in Indian colours in October when India take on Australia.