BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has dismissed reports suggesting that the opening ODI of India’s upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka has been shifted from New Delhi to Ahmedabad. Saikia clarified on Monday that the Arun Jaitley Stadium remains the designated venue for the December 13 fixture and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made no changes to the schedule.
The clarification came after speculation emerged that the match could be relocated to Ahmedabad because of ongoing construction work at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Speaking to news agency PTI, Saikia rejected the reports and reiterated that the BCCI follows a standard policy when allocating venues for bilateral international matches.
“Reports suggesting that the India–Sri Lanka ODI match scheduled in Delhi may be shifted to Ahmedabad are not accurate. There has been no such decision by the BCCI,” Devajit Saikia said.
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He further explained that bilateral fixtures are allotted according to the board’s established venue-allocation policy, putting an end to speculation about a possible change.
Ahmedabad is already scheduled to host the third and final ODI of the series on December 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, the venue for the opening match remains unchanged, with Delhi set to host the contest on December 13.
The Sri Lanka tour of India will feature three ODIs followed by three T20 Internationals across six venues.
ODI Series
- 1st ODI: December 13 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
- 2nd ODI: December 16 – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- 3rd ODI: December 19 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
T20I Series
- 1st T20I: December 22 – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
- 2nd T20I: December 24 – Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
- 3rd T20I: December 27 – Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
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With the venue speculation addressed, the focus now shifts to the upcoming India vs Sri Lanka series, which will feature six international matches across different Indian cities. Delhi remains scheduled to host the opening ODI, while Ahmedabad will stage the series finale.
