BCCI says Delhi will host India v Sri Lanka 1st ODI on December 13, rejects move to Ahmedabad

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Monday dismissed reports that India’s opening ODI against Sri Lanka, scheduled for December 13, would be moved from Delhi to Ahmedabad, confirming the match will remain at the designated Delhi venue.

Speculation had circulated that ongoing construction work at the Arun Jaitley Stadium might force organisers to shift the series opener, with Ahmedabad named in some reports as a possible alternative. The board said no decision had been taken to change the venue, putting an end to the uncertainty ahead of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs tour of India.

"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," Saikia said, as quoted by PTI. "Further, it needs to be reiterated that bilateral matches are primarily allotted by following a standard policy," he added.

The tour will comprise three ODIs and three T20 Internationals. The ODI series is scheduled to start in Delhi on December 13, with the second match in Bengaluru on December 16 and the third ODI in Ahmedabad on December 19.

The T20I portion follows the ODIs, beginning in Rajkot on December 22, the second T20I in Cuttack on December 24 and the final T20I in Pune on December 27. These dates and venues were confirmed in the board’s schedule for the December tour.

Separately, Sri Lanka are currently touring Pakistan and have conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series after losing the first two games; the visitors are due to play the third and final T20I in Rawalpindi on October 13.

India are in the midst of a five-match T20I series against the West Indies, with the final game scheduled for October 17 in Bengaluru, and will then tour New Zealand later this month for a multi-format series featuring five T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.