An official decision has been taken to shift the first ODI between Sri Lanka and India, scheduled for December 13, away from New Delhi to Visakhapatnam. Indian media reported that the match, which was slated to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, was relocated following a request made by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Key Points

  • The match scheduled to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi has been shifted to Visakhapatnam.
  • Severe air pollution and ongoing stadium renovation work led to this decision.
  • The second ODI will take place in Bengaluru on December 16 as planned.

Reasons behind the venue change

Informing that they are unable to host the match on the scheduled date, the Delhi and District Cricket Association cited two main reasons. The first is ongoing renovation work currently taking place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The other key factor is the severe air pollution levels experienced in New Delhi during the month of December.

It is reported that a primary objective was to avoid a repeat of the serious difficulties experienced by Sri Lankan players during a Test match held in December 2017. Taking these past experiences into account as well, the opening match has been moved to Visakhapatnam.

Revised match schedule

However, no changes have been made to the second ODI, which is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on December 16, coinciding with the date of the IPL player auction.

Accordingly, the first ODI will be played on December 13 in Visakhapatnam, the second match on December 16 in Bengaluru, and the third match on December 19 in Ahmedabad. The subsequent three T20 Internationals are scheduled to be held in Rajkot, Cuttack, and Pune.

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