Former India skipper Virat Kohli’s 100th Test is reportedly going to be held at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali and not at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore as earlier planned.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, India’s upcoming home series against Sri Lanka will now be played in a reverse order which means the tourists will be kicking off their tour in Lucknow with the T20Is.
The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) will host the first T20I on February 24 while the second and third match of the series will be staged at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on February 26 and 27. The reports claimed that both UPCA and HPCA officials have confirmed the schedule.
The two teams will then fly to Punjab to play the first Test in Mohali, which will begin from March 3 and will also be the the 100th Test for the former India skipper.
The second Test and final Test will then be held in Bangalore from March 12 to 16. The report however said that it was still not clear if the Chinnaswamy Test will be a day-nighter; Neither the Indian team management nor the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) seem to have confirmed information.
“We don’t know if it is a day-night Test. All we know is it will be from March 12 to 16,” a KSCA official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
As per the original itinerary, the series would have started with a Test in Bangalore followed by another Test and a T20I in Mohali with the last two T20Is in Dharamsala and Lucknow.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is however, yet to make a formal announcement regarding the change in the venues for the upcoming home series against the islanders.
“Meanwhile, a date for the selection committee meeting ahead of the series has not been finalised but whenever the Chetan Sharma-led committee meets, it is most likely to anoint Rohit Sharma as the skipper for the Tests, making him the India captain across formats,” the report added.