Indian team is set to enter the T20 World Cup 2022 with lots of game time in their kitty as reports have suggested that the Men in Blue will take on Australia and South Africa at home before flying down under for the ICC event.
It is learned that India will play Australia in Mohali (September 20), Nagpur (September 23), and Hyderabad (September 25). They will round off their World Cup preparations with three more T20Is against the Proteas in Trivandrum (September 28), Guwahati (October 1), and Indore (October 3).
The Proteas will also be playing three ODI matches on their tour to India, which will be held in Ranchi (October 6), Lucknow (October 9), and Delhi (October 11).
It was reported that a second-string team will play in ODIs against South Africa which is coming during Durga Puja as BCCI wraps up the pending series which were postponed due to COVID-19.
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"As our secretary, Jay Shah had said recently, we will have two national teams of equal strength available. So the three ODIs will be played at a time when the national team leaves for the World T20," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
While South Africa played five T20Is in India in June, the three T20s have been included for quality match time before the World Cup.
"The ODI as per rotation was to come to Kolkata but it was during the time of Durga Puja and CAB won't be able to organize the police deployment during festival time. Hence one match has been allocated to Delhi," a BCCI source added.
Itinerary T20Is vs Australia:
1st T20I- Sep 20, Mohali
2nd T20I- Sep 23, Nagpur
3rd T20I- Sep 25, Hyderabad
Itinerary for the South Africa series:
1st T20I- Sep 28, Trivandrum
2nd T20I- Oct 1, Guwahati
3rd T20I- Oct 3, Indore
1st ODI- Oct 6, Ranchi
2nd ODI- Oct 9, Lucknow
3rd ODI- Oct 11, Delhi
(PTI inputs)