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Can Virat Kohli still play for India if he obtains British citizenship? What does ICC rule state

Anurag Dasgupta

Virat Kohli citizenship [Source: AFP Photo] Virat Kohli citizenship [Source: AFP Photo]

Virat Kohli has certainly moved on in life as the Indian cricketer, alongside his family (wife Anushka Sharma, and two kids), as relocated to London, and is living a peaceful life, far away from the hustle and bustle of India. Kohli, perhaps the most popular Indian cricketer at present, has found solace in his new life, and now he only comes to India during cricket matches.

Several reports have stated that Kohli lives in Notting Hill, London, and is often cited during daily chores, roaming freely in the streets of London, something that was difficult for him to do in India, mainly due to his stardom.

Can Kohli play for India if he becomes British citizen?

So, now with Kohli moving to London with his family, a question arises: can he represent India if the star batter obtains British citizenship?. What are the provisions made by the ICC and BCCI in such circumstances?.

If Kohli indeed obtains British citizenship, the ICC has its rule stated for such situations. According to the rules of the ICC, a player must be a national of the country they are representing to play for their national cricket team. This means that the person is either born in that country or has a passport from that country.

If Kohli indeed gives away the Indian citizenship, then as per the rules, he will not be eligible to represent India in cricket matches. In a scenario where Kohli has to give up his Indian citizenship, he can still pursue his career in England. For that, he needs to play domestic cricket before he is eligible to represent England. 

However, this scenario is highly unlikely, since Kohli is at the twilight of his career, and may not have much cricket left in his tank. Moreover, it is also unlikely that he will change the citizenship just to play for another nation.