India is scheduled to play three ODIs, and five T20Is against Sri Lanka in June-July, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly revealed in an interview with Sportstar.
Virat Kohli & Co. will be playing the final of the ICC World Test Championship in Southampton from June 18-22. Then they are set to play Sri Lanka for three ODIs and five T20Is proceeded by the Test series versus England.
Sri Lanka’s England tour will be starting on June 18 till the 4th of July 2021. They will be playing 3 T20Is, and 3 ODIs in their scheduled visit.
Meanwhile, the Test series between England and India also starts on August 4. This means that there is a month’s window for the series against Sri Lanka to be played.
It is expected that the BCCI will be sending a different team for the Sri Lanka series, which will include players that do not feature in India’s recently-selected squad for the WTC Final and the 5-match Test series.
Ganguly, in his interview, further revealed that the remainder of the IPL could not be held in the month-long gap after the WTC final.
“No. India is supposed to go to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and five T20Is. There are lots of organisational hazards like 14-day quarantine…This quarantine is tough to handle. Too early to say how we can find a slot to complete the IPL.”
The 48-year-old also sympathised with the players who had been in a bio-bubble for a long time, stating, “Bubble life is harsh; it’s the toughest thing. Since last September, a majority of players around the world have been living inside a bubble. There is no option. We can’t play cricket without the bubble.”
In June 2020, the Indian team was set to tour Sri Lanka for 3 ODIs and as many T20Is. Unfortunately, that tour was postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
