The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to host a day-night pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, who will visit the shores for two Tests and three T20I matches in February, as per the reports of Times of India.
The tour is likely to begin with the three T20I matches instead of Tests because of a smoother bubble-to-bubble transfer of players. Both teams will be playing T20Is before the series gets underway.
As per the initial itinerary, Bengaluru and Mohali were supposed to hold the Test matches and the three T20Is were slated to be played in Mohali, Dharamsala, and Lucknow.
However, there is yet to be clarity over the venues, as Bengaluru is not fixed for the first Test match for what will be former India captain Virat Kohli’s 100th Test match.
To cut down on busy travel, the board is contemplating playing most of the series in Dharamsala and Mohali before moving to Bengaluru to finish the international home season.
IND v WI 2022: WATCH- West Indies team arrives in Ahmedabad for their white-ball tour of India
"There is a chance that the first two T20Is to start the tour will be played in Dharamsala before the series moves to Mohali for the third T20I and the first Test. Lucknow may miss out on hosting a T20I. Having the pink ball Test in Mohali is difficult since dew is expected to play a big role. However, BCCI is still monitoring the Covid-19 situation in the country. A final call to tweak the schedule will be taken soon," a BCCI source said.
Given that Virat Kohli plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League, him playing his 100th Test in Bengaluru, a city with which he has a tremendous fan following, would be apt.
(Times of India inputs)
