India vs West Indies T20I at Barabati Stadium in doubt? BCCI considering change of venue

Cuttack: The hugely anticipated first T20I between India and West Indies scheduled to take place at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on 15th February, 2022 is now in doubt in light of the rapid rise in Covid-19 cases across the country.

The West Indies will embark upon a tour of India beginning from 6th February to play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and three T20Is.

With the third wave of Covid-19 rampant across the nation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Tour and Fixtures Committee has put forward a proposal to hold the three ODIs and three T20Is across two venues – Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The recommendation by the committee was passed on to the office bearers of the BCCI on Wednesday evening.

Initially, the six limited overs fixtures were scheduled to take place across six venues – Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Cuttack, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram.

Although the change in venues has not been finalised yet, Cricket West Indies (CWI) is believed to be on board with whatever decision the BCCI will take to ensure the safety of players and staff.

“A request for such a change has not reached to me as yet. But we accept such operational actions by local boards in the interest of what is best for implementing health protocols,” CWI chief Ricky Skerritt told Cricbuzz.