Cricket Board Announces Home Series Calendar, Begins With South Africa T20Is

The Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday disclosed Team India's home season fixtures for the year 2019-20 which includes five Tests, nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and 12 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The season will start with the Freedom Trophy for the Gandhi-Mandela series played between India and South Africa in September, followed by a T20I and Test series against Bangladesh in November. The three Tests against South Africa in October and two against Bangladesh will be part of the inaugural World Test Championship that begins after the 2019 World Cup. 

Complete breakdown of the home series fixtures:    

Freedom Trophy - 2019 against South Africa: 

1st T20I: September 15, Dharamsala 
2nd T20I: September 18, Mohali    
3rd T20I: September 22, Bengaluru    

1st Test: October 2-6, Vizag    
2nd Test: October 10-14, Ranchi    
3rd Test: October 19-23, Pune    

Bangladesh's Tour of India - 2019: 
1st T20I: November 3, Delhi    
2nd T20I: November 7, Rajkot    
3rd T20I: November 10, Nagpur    

1st Test: November 14-18, Indore    
2nd Test: November 22-26, Kolkata    

West Indies' Tour of India - 2019: 

1st T20I: December 6, Mumbai    
2nd T20I: December 8, Thiruvananthapuram    
3rd T20I: December 11, Hyderabad    

1st ODI: December 15, Chennai 
2nd ODI: December 18, Vizag    
3rd ODI: December 22, Cuttack    

Zimbabwe's Tour of India - 2020: 

1st T20I: January 5, Guwahati    
2nd T20I: January 7, Indore    
3rd T20I: January 10, Pune    

Australia's Tour of India - 2020: 

1st ODI: January 14, Mumbai    
2nd ODI: January 17, Rajkot    
3rd ODI: January 19, Bengaluru 

Bangladesh will play a series in India for the first time when they tour the neighbouring nation in November for three T20s and two Tests. 

The three Tests against South Africa in October and two against Bangladesh will be part of the inaugural World Test Championship that begins after the 2019 World Cup.

The season will begin with South Africa arriving for three T20s and as many Tests starting September 15. 

What is noticeable in the entire schedule is India will not be playing a full-series comprising Tests, T20s and ODIs in one go. And that means that South Africa will return to play three ODIs in March 2020.

The series against Bangladesh will begin with the first T20 in Delhi. The two Tests will be played in Indore (November 14-18) and Kolkata (November 22-26). 

Bangladesh had toured India for the first time in 2017 when they played a one-off Test in Hyderabad. They will also be one of the six sides India will play in the nine-team World Test Championship. 

The ICC has already made it clear that India and Pakistan will not be facing each other in the first cycle, unless they both make the final. After Bangladesh's departure in the last week of November, India will face the West Indies in three T20s and as many ODIs starting December 6. 

The following month will see Zimbabwe touring India for three T20s between January 5-10. Four days later, India play Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series. 

The BCCI and Cricket Australia had serious differences over the scheduling of the series but the Indian cricket board eventually had its way. The home season will conclude in March with South Africa's ODI tour of India. 

The West Indies will then tour India in the month of December and following suit will be Zimbabwe and Australia in January. The five Tests to be played in the 2019-20 season will be a part of the Test Championship.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

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