BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday, October 12, dismissed reports that the opening ODI of the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka has been moved from Delhi to Ahmedabad. The match, scheduled for December 13, was allotted to Delhi under standard policy, and no change has been made to the venue.
Earlier reports from media outlets had suggested that the match would shift to Ahmedabad, citing construction work at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the reason. The reports claimed that Ahmedabad, which is set to host the series finale on December 19, would instead host the opening match. Saikia directly addressed these claims and provided clarity on the scheduling process.
"Reports suggesting that the India–Sri Lanka ODI match scheduled in Delhi may be shifted to Ahmedabad are not accurate. There has been no such decision by the BCCI. We request media colleagues to kindly refer to official BCCI communications for any updates regarding the schedule. Further, it needs to be reiterated that bilateral matches are primarily allotted by following a standard policy," Saikia was quoted as saying by India Today.
BCCI clarifies official schedule and allocation policy
The BCCI secretary's statement underscores the importance of relying on official channels for schedule updates. Bilateral matches between India and visiting teams follow an established allocation framework that determines which venues host which matches. This framework ensures consistency and fairness in the distribution of matches across different cities. Saikia's clarification reinforces that the BCCI follows a transparent and standardised approach when allocating venues to bilateral series, preventing ad hoc changes based on speculation or unverified reports.
The Sri Lanka tour is scheduled to run from December 13 to 27, 2026, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODI venues are Delhi on December 13, Bengaluru for the second match, and Ahmedabad on December 19. The T20I matches will be held in Rajkot, Cuttack, and Pune. With the opening match confirmed to remain in Delhi, the schedule stands as originally planned, and no further changes to the venue allocation are anticipated.
