India to play against Sri Lanka again this year, series likely to impact South Africa tour

IANS

New Delhi: After a prolonged home series for Team India last year, Virat Kohli and his men are up for a series of overseas tour lined up with the tour of South Africa standing as the highlight for the squad. However, the series is likely to face an impact with Sri Lanka playing India, once again, scheduled in November-December.

It was in January, this year, that India agreed to play the Independence Cup alongside Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan. The series has ben scheduled to be played in March, next year, to celebrate 70 years of Sri Lanka's independence.

Apart from this, Men in Blue are also supposed to play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and one Twenty20 International against the Sri Lankan squad, but this time in India itself. Although it was earlier decided that the home series would be played in February, next year, the matches were asked to be rescheduled owing to the Independence Cup.

India's fixture thus goes as – the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, then a series against Australia at home, followed by the Sri Lankan series again, finally ending with the South Africa. With tour dates yet to be decided, it comes forth that Sri Lanka's tour of India would end up reducing the fixture for the South Africa series for Team India.

“The Sri Lanka tour to India has been brought forward from February next year because we are hosting the tri-nation Independence Cup during that period,” Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said.

“Sri Lanka was due to tour India from February end to the first week of April next year and the dates would have clashed with the Independence Cup. That’s why we requested the Indian board for a change to bring the tour forward and they have agreed,” he added.