NEW DELHI/COLOMBO: The Indian team's six-match limited-overs series in Sri Lanka will now start from July 18, BCCI secretary Jay Shah told PTI on Saturday, a day after a COVID-19 outbreak in the home team camp forced the postponement.
The series, which was originally scheduled to start with the three ODIs on July 13, had to be rescheduled after Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower and data analyst G T Niroshan tested positive for the dreaded virus on their return from the UK tour.
It also meant an extended quarantine period for the squad members.
While the tentative date that was originally being discussed was July 17, but Shah confirmed that it will start from July 18.
"India-Sri Lanka ODI series to start on July 18 due to COVID-19 outbreak in home team camp," Shah told PTI.
The three ODI matches will now be held on July 18, 20 and 23 at the Premadasa Stadium followed by the T20 Internationals, starting on July 25.
The last two T20Is are set to be played on July 27 and 29, respectively, at the same venue.
"We understand that circumstances are extraordinary, but the BCCI would like to extend its full support to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) during these tough times for the smooth conduct of the upcoming series," Shah said in a statement, issued by the BCCI.
"Our medical team is in constant touch with the team of doctors at SLC and together following all safety protocols that will help the series to get underway. We are confident that both nations will put up a spirited show in the days to come and we are in for some exciting cricket," Shah assured.
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Ashley De Silva expressed his gratitude towards BCCI for standing by them during hour of crisis.
"We are grateful to the BCCI for understanding the situation and agreeing to cooperate with us at this moment of time, as it has done on numerous occasions, during our long-standing relationship."
Earlier in the day, a Sri Lankan player in one of the two bio-bubbles had tested positive for COVID-19 as the virus outbreak continued to rock the home team ahead of its white-ball series against an Indian team led by Shikhar Dhawan.
'Newswire.lk' quoted Sri Lankan sources as saying that batsman Sandun Weerakkodi has tested positive for the virus.
Weerakoddy wasn't a part of UK-returned team.
That team is still in isolation post Flower and Niroshan's positive cases.
The latest positive case came from a separate bubble of 13 players.
The group of players are training separately even as the virus outbreak forced a postponement of the series by five days after the home team's batting coach Flower and data analyst Niroshan have contracted the virus.
According to a report in the website, Weerakkodi was with the 15 senior cricketers, who were training here while staying at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo.
The report further stated that Weerakkodi, along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa and several other cricketers, were sent to Dambulla on Friday night to play practice matches ahead of the India series.
The squad staying at Cinnamon Grand also includes Asela Guneratne, Angelo Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and all of them will now have to undergo quarantine.
There is another group of 26 cricketers putting up in a separate bubble in Dambulla, and SLC said that they are all fine.
As per the original schedule, the series was to start with the ODI leg on July 13, followed by matches on July 16 and July 18.
The T20I games were scheduled for July 21, July 23 and July 25.
The second-string Indian team, being led by Dhawan with Rahul Dravid as chief coach, has completed its hard quarantine and has been training in Colombo.
Sri Lanka's squad had faced an anxious wait for the results of their RT-PCR tests on returning home from the UK, following a COVID-19 outbreak in the England squad after the final match of their tour in Bristol on Sunday.
The Lankans have been in a bit of turmoil even otherwise with a dispute over contracts and an ongoing inquiry into bio-bubble breach by three players during the England tour adding to their woes.
The SLC source informed that all the Sri Lankan players who came back from UK have tested negative.
"Once the contingent returned from the UK, Grant tested positive on arrival in RT PCR on the first day. All other players were then in their respective room (hard) quarantine. We removed Grant immediately in separate isolation zone. He is asymptomatic," the source added.
"Yesterday we tested the others once again and today G T Niroshan's report came positive and he was also isolated. Since we didn't receive any other positive reports as of now, it means that the players who returned from UK have tested negative in their second RT PCR test."
The series is now being pushed back by four days despite the SLC keeping two groups of players in separate bio-bubbles.
"Apart from the UK-returned batch, we have created two more bio-bubbles in Colombo. In one bubble there are 13 players and in another there are 26. So, 39 players are available to pick a squad from. But BCCI would like to play the first team for obvious reasons," the SLC source said.
Since the Sri Lanka white-ball team doesn't have any commitments after this, the rescheduling wasn't a big problem.
With all the games at the Premadasa Stadium, the dates can be kept flexible as no travelling is involved.
The Indian team is staying at its preferred location for the last three decades -- Taj Samudra.
While Niroshan's conformation was given on Friday, Sri Lanka's batting coach Flower tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, 48 hours after the squad's arrival from England.
All the other players who are quarantining have also been tested.
Before testing negative, Sri Lanka's squad had faced an anxious wait for the results of their RT-PCR tests on returning home, following a COVID-19 outbreak in the England squad after the final match of their tour in Bristol on Sunday.
The Lankans have been in a bit of turmoil even otherwise with a dispute over contracts and an ongoing inquiry into bio-bubble breach by three players during the England tour adding to their woes.
Meanwhile, the second edition of the Lanka Premier League has been postponed to November-December due to the unavailability of foreign players, the country's cricket board said on Friday.
The T20 league was scheduled to begin from July 29 but has been postponed to a November 19-December 12 schedule.
"The Governing Council of the Lanka Premier League is of the view that rescheduling the tournament will enable more players from leading cricket-playing nations to take part in the league," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
"The Council made this decision after assessing that at least one similar premier league and several international tours will be played among the cricketing nations during August 2021, during the period, which the LPL 2nd edition was expected to be played."
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, South Africa white-ball captain Temba Bavuma, West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran and No.1-ranked T20I bowler Tabraiz Shamsi were some of the players which had signed up for the event as per a list announced by SLC early this month The decision comes in the backdrop of the long-standing row between the Sri Lankan players and the country's cricket board (SLC) over national contracts which ended on Wednesday after 29 out of the 30 players signed up for the India series.
According to a report on 'Cricbuzz', the LPL is also "without three of the five franchises that competed in the inaugural season last year."
"SLC and IPG have terminated the contracts of three teams -- Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking on June 26 and Jaffna Stallions -- and the approval for the new managements has not yet been received," it said.
The Innovative Production Group (IPG), the LPL Event Rights Holder, however, extended their support to the decision of the SLC.
"IPG supports SLC's decision to postpone the second edition of LPL.
The success of the League is of paramount importance," said Anil Mohan, Founder, and CEO of Innovative Production Group FZE, the official promoters of the LPL.
"We thank the SLC, Sri Lankan Government, players, franchisees, and sponsors for their support."