India likely to host Sri Lanka for T20I series at home next year: Reports

India and Sri Lanka last played in a bilateral series in 2019.

Sri Lanka last toured India in 2017 | Getty Images

With the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next year, all international teams are trying to play more T20 matches, and India is no different, as they are likely to add three more T20Is to their already well-packed itinerary ahead of the mega event in 2020.

On Tuesday (September 10), a BBC reporter Azzam Ameen has reported on Twitter that Sri Lanka are likely to travel India for three T20 Internationals in January next year. However, there is no official confirmation about the same.

The Men in Blue are already scheduled to play around 30 T20 Internationals before heading Australia to be part of the mega ICC event in October next year.

However, the three matches will be wrapped up in less than a week, but it could be challenging for the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) to organize the Sri Lanka tour in January, as they are to host Zimbabwe (3 T20Is; Jan 5-10) and Australia (for 3 ODIs; Jan 14-19) in the same month.

The two teams haven’t played in a bilateral series since 2017, though, India toured Sri Lanka last year for Nidahas Trophy which they won under Rohit Sharma, and if the news is to be believed, the reported T20Is could be played after the Australia series at home.

Noteworthy, India had traveled to Sri Lanka in July 2017 for a full-fledged series comprising of three Tests, five ODIs and one T20Is and the tourists had won all the nine games.

Later, Sri Lanka had also hosted India in November-December 2017 for three Tests and as many as T20Is and One Day Internationals – where the tourists managed to draw two Test matches before losing the final Test to lost the series 0-1. They also lost ODI series 1-2 as well as T20I 0-3 against India.

Sri Lanka had also hosted India in 2017 for a full-fledged series and had endured a terrible outing at home. India played three Tests, five ODIs and one T20Is and had won all the nine games.

Noteworthy, India and Sri Lanka can only lock horns in the limited-overs bilateral series over the next two years, as they are not scheduled to play each other in ongoing ICC World Test championship.

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 11 Sep, 2019

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