KOCHI: The Greenfield stadium in Thiruvananthapuram will host India’s opening T20I of their three-match series against South Africa on September 28 (Wednesday). The Indian team, that will play in Thiruvananthapuram, is expected to be at full strength as this will be the last T20I series before the ICC World T20 that gets underway in Australia on October 16.
While South Africa played five ODIs in India in June, the three T20s have been included for quality match time before the World Cup.
Getting the opening fixture of a series is important for an emerging cricket venue like Greenfield as the visiting South African team is expected to arrive early in the state capital to get themselves acclimatized to the conditions. The Indian team will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram only two days prior to the match after completing their final T20I fixture against Australia on September 25.
“A T20I against visiting South Africans has been allotted to the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and we have decided to host it in Thiruvananthapuram. We were keen to host Australia, but certain logistical issues prevented us from getting a game against the team from Down Under. Instead, we have been allotted the match against a strong South African side and I am sure cricket fans in the state will be able to watch a keenly fought encounter,” said BCCI joint secretary Jayesh George.
The concern for the organizers, the KCA, would be the weather as there are chances of showers in September.
The Greenfield stadium has so far hosted two T20Is, a rain-curtailed game against New Zealand and another one against West Indies, besides an ODI against the Caribbean side.
It is learnt that India will play the T20I matches against Australia in Mohali (September 20), Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25).
The three ODIs against South Africa will be held in Ranchi (October 6), Lucknow (October 9) and Delhi (October 11).
