SLC requests BCCI to start tour with T20Is instead of Tests | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka‘s upcoming tour of India is likely to see a change in itinerary. The tour which was supposed to start with the two-Test series followed by a three-match T20I series could be played the other way around.

A top BCCI official said:

If BCCI accepts the request, then it will give them some more time to take a call on the venues for the Tests, given the Covid-19 situation in the country. As of now, the T20Is are slated to be played in Mohali, Dharamshala and Lucknow while Bengaluru and Mohali are supposed to host the two Tests.

To limit chances of the virus breaching a bubble, the board decided to limit the West Indies series to just two cities – Ahmedabad and Kolkata. “BCCI wants to distribute international games to as many state associations. But the Covid-19 wave has made it difficult to do so. Confining a series to a certain region is convenient,” the official said.

Call on Ranji Trophy in a fortnight

The board is still taking a wait-and-watch policy on the Ranji Trophy. BCCI is keen to at least get the league round of the Ranji under way. “It will take a month to finish the league stage but the number of Covid-19 cases have to fall drastically. Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata seem to have gone past their peak. We will monitor the situation for another 10-14 days,” the BCCI official said.