Team India Wanted to Cancel T20I Series Against Sri Lanka - Reports

In the year 2017, India faced Sri Lanka in a total of six Tests, eight ODIs and four T20Is. Out of these, the only time when team India suffered a loss was when they lost the first ODI in Dharamsala. Two out of six Test matches ended in a draw while four of them were won by India, played during the year. The results of four T20Is also went in favour of India.

The results against Sri Lanka must have had increased the confidence of Indian players, but in surprising news, a report in TOI suggests that Indian players wanted to cancel the T20I series against Sri Lanka, played in India in December.

The players wanted BCCI to make the three-match ODI series a six-match series and cancel the three T20I games. However, the board did not hear the request of players and the series continued as scheduled.

The last match of the T20I series was played on December 24 in Mumbai and just a couple of days after the T20I, team India boarded the flight to South Africa, with just one week to prepare for the Tests series. The Indian team management had already decided to cancel the practice game, which was scheduled just a day after when the team was to reach South Africa, and India players opted to prepare for the series by conducting net sessions.

India had always opted to play practice games before a tour and have travelled to countries in advance to assimilate to the conditions, but due to cramped schedule, it was not possible for this series, and the results of it are on the board – India have already lost the first two Test matches.

India skipper, Virat Kohli, too complained about the cramped schedule in a press conference and surely, looking at the results of this series, BCCI might not ignore the request of the players, especially with a foreign tour scheduled.

India team is all set to continue its foreign voyage and would be travelling to England, Australia and New Zealand in next one year. The Virat Kohli-led team has not had best of the starts, but the team will look to improve the foreign records when the tour to England starts in July.

Follow India’s tour to South Africa here: South Africa Vs. India – Freedom Series

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