South Africa has confirmed a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka from September 2-14 in which the teams will contest three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches.
It is the shorter format games that will be of most interest to both sides with the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman starting just over a month later.
South Africa Confirms A White Ball Sri Lankan Tour Comprising 3 ODIs And 3 T20Is
Sri Lankan Cricket has confirmed that Sri Lanka will host South Africa for a white-ball series, starting 2 September. The teams will lock horns in three ODIs and as many T20Is.
“Playing against quality opposition in the sub-continent is the best way for our team to prepare for this event and we are grateful to Sri Lanka Cricket for accommodating us during this time of the year where schedules are highly condensed,” Cricket South Africa Acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki said in a media release on Friday.
The tour will consist of three ODIs and three T20Is, all to be played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. The three ODIs will be played on September 2,4 and 7, and the T20Is will be played on September 10, 12, and 14.
South Africa Versus Sri Lanka Will Be The Former’s First White Ball Series In Sri Lanka Since 2018
The series will end five days before the resumption of the second phase of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. This will be South Africa’s first white-ball series in Sri Lanka since 2018 when it won the five-match ODI series 3-2 and lost the one-off T20. Both series will be played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
It is noteworthy that the Sri Lankan team would continue to miss the services of Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, and Niroshan Dickwella who have been suspended following the bio-bubble breach during Sri Lanka’s tour of England.
While the recommendations have mentioned that Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka should be suspended for two full years from international cricket, and Niroshan Dickwella should be suspended for a period of 18 months, a final decision on their ban is yet to be announced.