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The concept of Tri-Series vanished in the late 1990s and middle of 2000s. Nowadays, teams only play bilateral series due to busy schedules and franchise leagues. However, recently, India National Cricket Team captain Shubman Gill strongly advocated for the return of ODI triangular and quadrangular series. Now, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) wants to host a special tri-series or a marquee game.
CAB, alongside the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will be entering its centenary year celebration. CAB will complete its centenary year at the same time as the BCCI in 2028. This is a huge achievement for both the state and the apex board, as CAB remains one of the oldest state boards and Eden Gardens remains the oldest cricket ground.
"We will gradually get going with our preparation for the centenary year": Sourav Ganguly and CAB ready to host special 100th year match
Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, while speaking to the media, stated about the marquee match during the CAB’s 95th annual general meeting at Eden Gardens on Thursday. They are doing their best to host a big game at Eden Gardens, as they will also write a letter to the BCCI so that they can host a marquee game at the venue on the occasion of CAB’s centenary year.
"We will gradually get going with our preparation for the centenary year. We’ll also write to the BCCI so that the celebration goes on to be a special one, including a marquee game (at the Eden)," Sourav Ganguly said afterwards, as quoted by The Telegraph.
BCCI plans marquee matches on occasion of centenary celebrations
The BCCI has been planning some special events to mark its centenary celebrations, as the BCCI completes 100 years in 2028. So there have been talks of a special triangular series or quadrangular series that will be hosted across various stadiums. There has been discussion over a year-long program beginning in December 2027 and continuing through the entirety of 2028.
After the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, secretary Devajit Saikia assured that they are planning some special matches to mark the occasion of the centenary celebrations. As per reports, an India vs Rest of the World XI match as part of its centenary celebrations is set to be organized by the richest cricket board in the world.
Has India played a match against the World XI?
Previously, there were times during the early 2000s when there were charity matches where Rest of the World used to feature alongside Asia XI, Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies. They played around 9 matches during that time, and the fans came in large numbers to watch such matches. The latest match was played in 2018, when the World XI faced the West Indies in a T20I at Lord’s.
There has been no final decision on the match, and the board is also expected to form a separate committee to watch these special matches; however, the discussions are still at a very basic stage, and there has been no finalization of the programme, as India has never played such matches earlier against the World XI.
