Virat Kohli set for 100th Test in Mohali; day-nighter in Bengaluru

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The BCCI on Tuesday announced a revised itinerary for the home series against Sri Lanka, beginning February 25, confirming that the Twenty20 series will be played before the two Tests.

Originally, the two-Test series was planned before the T20s but the BCCI has made the change following a request from Sri Lanka Cricket.

“Sri Lanka will first play the T20I series comprising three matches followed by a two-match Test series, which will be a part of the ICC World Test Championship, 2021-23,” said the BCCI in a statement.

It was widely reported that the T20s against the Lankan side will take place before Test matches in Mohali and Bengaluru and the cricket body has now confirmed it.

Virat Kohli is expected to play his 100th game in Mohali from March 4-8.

The second Test will be played in Bengaluru from February 12-16 and will be a day-night affair.

The last pink ball Test played in India, in Ahmedabad last, ended inside two days with England crumbling on a rank turner.

The first T20 will be played in Lucknow on February 25 before the teams travel up the hills to Dharamsala for the second and third games on February 26 and 27.

With the schedule announced for the Sri Lanka series, the BCCI is expected to name the Test captain, a post that was left vacant in the wake of Kohli’s unexpected resignation a day after India lost the Test series in South Africa.

Kohli ended his tenure as India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins, 11 draws and 17 losses in 68 Tests.