CHENNAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to send its white-ball specialists to Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series in July. It is understood that the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), apart from receiving an official communication from the BCCI, is also awaiting clearance from their government as it has shut borders with India, following the increasing Covid-19 numbers.
With India’s Test team away in the United Kingdom during the same period, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah will remain unavailable. Instead, the BCCI is looking to send its white-ball specialists for three ODIs and five T20Is. It is understood that there is a possibility that even the ODIs may be scrapped to accommodate two more T20Is keeping in mind the T20 World Cup. Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy are being looked at as possible venues for the matches that will be played behind closed doors.
On Sunday, speaking to PTI, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said: “We have planned a white ball series for the senior men’s team during the month of July where they will play T20 Internationals and ODIs in Sri Lanka.” While Ganguly has more or less confirmed it, sources in the board circles revealed that the tour is far from certain. There seems to be a slight setback in the relations between the two boards after SLC voted for Imran Khwaja in the ICC chair election, who eventually lost to Greg Barclay, who was backed by the BCCI.
In case the tour does go ahead, apart from picking a completely different squad, the BCCI will have to look for new support staff for the series. The indications are that Paras Mhambrey, who has been part of India A and Under-19 coaching set up, will accompany the team to Sri Lanka along with other support staff at the National Cricket Academy.
Though, India’s first-choice players will not be available, the BCCI can still send a strong squad including the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar among others. Although the Indian team doesn’t have any engagements between the World Test Championship final, which ends on June 22 and the England series, which begins on August 2, the quarantine rules in the UK make it impossible for the first team to travel to Sri Lanka.