India will host Australia and South Africa for limited overs series before the T20 World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sourav Ganguly revealed on Thursday. The home team will play three T20Is each against Australia and South Africa in order to prepare for the T20 World Cup.
The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on the Proteas in a three-match ODI series. India will first host Australia in the first T20I at Mohali on September 20. The two teams will then play the next two matches at Nagpur and Hyderbad on 23rd and 25th September respectively.
India will then play three T20Is and as many ODIs against South Africa. The first T20I will be played at the Trivandrum on September 28 while the first ODI will take place at Ranchi on October 6.
“We will host SA and Australia for three T20Is each before going for the T20 World Cup,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly informed reporters after a meeting of the Board’s Apex Council on Thursday.
“South Africa will come to India after concluding their ongoing England tour (in September). All those venues which didn’t get to stage a game against SA- Ranchi, Nagpur, Hyderabad. Lucknow, Indore, Mohali- will host T20Is against SA and Australia,” Ganguly said.
A BCCI source also revealed that India is all set to host these matches which will help them prepare for the T20 World Cup. He added that the ODI match that Kolkata was expected to host will be played in Delhi due to the Durga Puja arrangement in the former’s city.
“As our secretary, Jay Shah had said recently, we will have two national teams of equal strength available. So the three ODIs will be played at a time when national team leaves for the World T20,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“The ODI as per rotation was to come to Kolkata but it was during the time of Durga Puja and CAB won’t be able to organize the police deployment during festival time. Hence one match has been allocated to Delhi,” a BCCI source added.
INDIA vs AUSTRALIA, INDIA vs SOUTH AFRICA SCHEDULE
T20Is vs Australia
Sep 20: Mohali
Sep 23: Nagpur
Sep 25: Hyderabad
T20Is vs South Africa
Sep 28: Trivandrum
Oct 1: Guwahati
Oct 3: Indore
ODIs vs South Africa
Oct 6: Ranchi
Oct 9: Lucknow
Oct 11: Delhi
