According to sources, India is scheduled to play a three-match series against Australia just before the ICC Cricket World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considers this bilateral series as an important part of their World Cup preparations. While the dates and venues are yet to be announced, the matches are expected to take place between September 20 and 27.
The first One Day International (ODI) is likely to be held on September 20, followed by matches on September 23 and September 26. However, these matches will be played at venues that are not hosting World Cup matches. The World Cup games are set to be hosted in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Dharamsala, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Thiruvananthapuram.
This series against Australia holds significant importance for both teams as they will face each other in their opening World Cup match on October 8 at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, confirmed that the bilateral series will be played under new media rights, and the existing media rights are expected to conclude by the end of August.
It’s worth noting that Team India will also be participating in the Asia Cup in September, which concludes on September 17. Soon after the conclusion of the ODI series against Australia, India will play their first warm-up match against England on September 29, leading up to the Cricket World Cup 2023.
With a busy schedule in September, there are concerns about the physical and mental toll it may take on the Indian team. The players will have little time to rest and recover between tournaments. It remains to be seen how this packed schedule will impact India’s performance in both the bilateral series and the World Cup.
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