Delhi ODI Set to Be Moved as DDCA Flags Air Quality Concerns

New Delhi: The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka, scheduled for December 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, is set to be relocated after the Delhi and District Cricket Association formally requested the BCCI to shift the fixture out of the capital.

The DDCA has written to the board citing its inability to host the match on the scheduled date. Multiple reasons underpin the request, with air quality at the forefront. Sources indicated that pollution levels, rather than the ongoing renovation work at the venue, are the primary concern.

“More than the renovation work, we want the match to be moved because of AQI in Delhi,” a source familiar with the development told IGK.

The capital’s air quality is notoriously poor at this time of year. Last December, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 351, with similar levels recorded on Monday. The DDCA’s caution is informed by experience. During a Test match between India and Sri Lanka in December 2017, some Sri Lankan players were seen throwing up on the ground. The association has no wish to see a repeat of that episode and has reportedly asked for another game sometime next year.

A Reversal for the BCCI

The development places the board in an awkward position. On October 12, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had categorically denied reports that the fixture was being moved.

“Reports suggesting that the India-Sri Lanka ODI match scheduled in Delhi may be shifted to Ahmedabad are not accurate. There has been no such decision by the BCCI. We request media colleagues to kindly refer to official BCCI communications for any updates regarding the schedule. Further, it needs to be reiterated that bilateral matches are primarily allotted by following a standard policy,” Saikia had said.

With the DDCA itself now requesting the relocation, the board may have little option but to comply and rejig the series schedule.

Series in Flux

The match was to be the opener of a three-match ODI series, with the second and third fixtures scheduled for Bengaluru on December 16 and Ahmedabad on December 19. The BCCI must now determine an alternative venue for the first game while preserving the remainder of the itinerary.

For Delhi, the loss of the fixture extends a pattern of scheduling uncertainty around the venue, which is undergoing renovation work alongside the broader environmental challenge that has long complicated winter cricket in the capital. For the BCCI, the task is to find a solution that satisfies the host association’s concerns without disrupting a series that forms part of a congested international calendar.

                                               

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