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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has disappointed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with its decision on the proposed white-ball game. The India national cricket team is scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka in August for a two-match Test series.
Although Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wanted the Board of Control for Cricket in India to add three T20I matches to the tour, India’s busy calendar has ended all hopes of an extended tour. Will Virat Kohli debut in tennis? Novak Djokovic reveals future plans.
SLC’s fundraising plan fails to get approval
To the disappointment of Sri Lankan fans, the BCCI has now reportedly decided not to add three T20I matches to the upcoming tour of India, as per Sri Lanka Cricket’s request.
India and Sri Lanka will now play only the originally planned two-match Test series in August, reports Sportstar. The proposed T20I matches were expected to help SLC raise funds for relief and reconstruction operations following Cyclone Ditvah.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka Cricket had requested the BCCI to include three T20Is after the Test series. SLC believed that India’s popularity in the country would attract large crowds and generate strong revenue for relief efforts.
Busy schedule and workload are the reason behind BCCI’s decision
There was a gap of about two weeks before India’s next international matches after the England tour, but the Indian Cricket Board felt that it would not be practical to fit in three more international matches. The Indian team already has a packed calendar, and then the workload of the players forced the BCCI to reject the proposal.
The matter was discussed between officials of both BCCI and SLC in recent meetings. During those talks, the BCCI has already informed Sri Lanka Cricket that it will not be able to include those three T20Is in the tour this time. However, the board is open to considering similar charity matches in the future if there is enough space in the international calendar.
With this decision, SLC will miss out on the financial boost that additional T20Is could have provided. Well, the India tour remains unchanged; The tour will continue as originally planned with only two red-ball matches. The first test between the two teams will start from August 15. India’s last visit to Sri Lanka was in 2024 for a white-ball series.
Shreyas Iyer’s T20I era has had a shocking start
Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team made a disappointing start to its new T20I era after a shocking defeat against Ireland in Belfast. The Men in Blue under new captain Shreyas Iyer failed to get off to a winning start as Ireland registered a memorable 34-run win in the opener of the two-match T20I series.
The defeat was historic for Ireland, as they recorded their first win in any format over the reigning T20 World Champions. The win also gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the two-match series and left the Indian camp with many questions to answer. The second and final T20 match is scheduled to take place in Belfast on Sunday, June 28.