New Delhi [India], November 5 : The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka, scheduled for December 13, has been shifted from Delhi to Visakhapatnam following concerns over renovation work at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and unfavourable weather conditions in the national capital.
According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the match will now be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on the same date.
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had earlier approached the BCCI, expressing its inability to host the match due to ongoing renovation work at the stadium and the possibility of weather-related disruptions in December, according to a DDCA Source.
A DDCA source had told ANI that the association was not in a position to organise the fixture under the prevailing circumstances.
India are scheduled to host Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and three-match T20I series next month. The ODI series will begin in Visakhapatnam on December 13, followed by the second match in Bengaluru and the third in Ahmedabad.
The three-match T20I series will be played after the ODIs, with Rajkot, Cuttack and Pune scheduled to host the matches.
The Indian team is currently touring New Zealand for a five-match ODI series, following which the two sides will play a two-Test series. The Men in Blue will return home after the New Zealand tour to host Sri Lanka.
The venue change comes after the DDCA raised concerns over its preparedness to host the opening ODI, citing the renovation work and weather conditions in the capital during December.