The venue for the second Test match between India and West Indies in October has been changed from Eden Gardens in Kolkata to Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. This adjustment means that Kolkata will now be the venue for the first Test match between India and South Africa, originally scheduled for New Delhi, from 14 to 18 November.
These alterations were confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when they released a series of updates for the 2024-25 home cricket season.
Chennai will not be hosting the three women’s One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Australia in September, preceding the Women’s World Cup, as was initially intended. Due to the need for pitch and outfield relaying in preparation for next year’s men’s T20 World Cup, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association informed the BCCI of their inability to host the matches during this period.
Consequently, the ODIs have been relocated to New Chandigarh and Delhi. The recently constructed PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh will welcome the first two ODIs, while the final match will take place at Kotla Stadium in Delhi. The series is scheduled from 14 to 20 September. It is understood that New Chandigarh was chosen to host these games to compensate for losing its status as one of the Women’s World Cup venues.
Additionally, there is a change in the ‘A’ tour schedule. The three one-day matches between South Africa A and India A, initially set for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, are now moved to the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Bengaluru, a host city for the Women’s World Cup from late September to early November, will accommodate the tournament’s opening and final games unless Pakistan participates in the final, in which case it will be held in Colombo.
Finally, Bengaluru’s new facility, located on its outskirts and housing the Centre of Excellence, will debut as a first-class venue. It will host the two ‘A’ four-day matches from 30 October to 10 November.
Shashank Kishore, a senior correspondent with ESPNcricinfo, notes the significance of these venue changes, impacting the domestic and international cricket landscape leading into major events.
