The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to cancel hosting South Africa in a T20I series in late September. They are planning to fix the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021 in that window and finish it just before the commencement of the T20 World Cup. The board is also looking to shift the home series of two Test matches against New Zealand in November this year.
The IPL 2021 came to halt in early May when coronavirus breached into the bio-bubble and players from different franchises caught it. The board decided to suspend the IPL 2021 indefinitely and has been looking for an alternative venue as well as a vacant window to host the remaining games.
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So far, September looks like an option to conduct the remaining games. BCCI had urged ECB to prepone the England-India Test series in order to make some space for the league. However, after ECB’s denial, BCCI has planned to call off the T20I series against South Africa in order to fit in the IPL 2021.
“The series can’t be held and in any case, there can’t be any better preparation for the T20 World Cup than playing a high-intensity tournament like IPL. Since the T20 World Cup will start within a week or 10 days after completion of the IPL, the SA series can only be held at a later date,” a BCCI official said to PTI.
“There is a chance that India might play extra games when they tour South Africa early next year.”
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“The two-Test home series against NZ could also be shifted. The India home season also had a two-Test series against New Zealand in November and the dates of which could be shifted depending upon when the T20 World Cup ends,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Team India will fly to the UK in the first week of June. They will feature in the inaugural final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand in Southampton, starting from June 18. Later on, India will lock horns against England in a mouth-watering five-match Test series, which is scheduled to begin in August.
