India to Play 23 International Matches between September And December
Aug 1, 2017 at 2:18 PM
As per quotes from a BCCI office bearer to the PTI, team India will play 5 ODI’s and 3 T20I’s against the Aussies from September to the middle of October.
It will be followed by 3 ODI’s and 3 T20I’s against the Black Caps who will arrive here towards late October and the series will conclude in the 1st week of November.
The long home season will eventually conclude in December with Sri Lanka touring India for a full-length series comprising of 3 Tests, 3 ODI’s and 3 T20I’s. After the completion of the long and gruelling home season, India will fly to South Africa for a full-length series but the schedule of the series hasn’t been announced yet.
Meanwhile, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come up with two new venues for the home season – Thiruvanthapuram in Kerala and Barspara in Assam is in contention – to host international matches. A decision on venues will be taken by the BCCI’s Tours and Fixtures Committee in Kolkata on August.
“There are a whopping 23 International matches at home. Three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20 Internationals. Each and every venue in India will be covered. Barsapara in Assam and Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram have got Test status. Both are vying for Test matches. Most of the bigger centres want either a T20 International or ODIs,” a BCCI official was quoted by PTI as saying.
“Since Kochi’s Nehru Stadium, which has traditionally hosted ODIs, will be used for the Fifa U-17 World Cup, we are hoping that Greenfields gets its first Test,” he further added. Nagpur which has been suspended to host international matches might be back in the reckoning with traditional centres such as Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or Mohali has been reserved for limited overs matches which more often than not draws a capacity crowd.
“One can be rest assured that at least 16-18 venues will be covered during this phase,” he said. Team India is currently in the island nation Sri Lanka fighting it out in a 3 match Test series. They performed brilliantly in the opening Test and won by a record 304 runs and for Sri Lanka to stage a comeback, the Islanders have to do something extraordinary to challenge the invincible.
Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram (Capacity: 50000)
Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium at Barsapara (Capacity: 60000) pic.twitter.com/jmSq5WN6UR— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 1, 2017