Thiruvananthapuram to play host for South Africa-India series

Although the return of India to international cricket and fixtures for the series against South Africa is yet to be finalised, Thiruvananthapuram would be hosting the five ODIs and three T20Is which might begin on March 7, 2021.



Earlier, it was reported by Women's CricZone that the Kerala Cricket Association is awaiting clearance from the state government to host the series at The Sports Hub. As per a recent report by the Times of India, the KCA office-bearers and the BCCI Joint Secretary Jayesh George met with the state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and got permission from the government to conduct the matches sticking to the state COVID-19 protocols.



Sajan Varghese, the KCA president, has said that the state government has permitted to host the matches at the Sports Hub in a bio-secure environment. "The Sports Hub has been used as a Covid first-line treatment centre till now. We will now have to sanitize the whole venue and make other necessary arrangements. The pitches and the ground have been maintained well despite the Covid situation. So that won't be a concern," Varghese was quoted by the daily.



ALSO READ: Teen Fran Jonas earns maiden call-up; Frances Mackay returns as New Zealand name squad for England ODIs



Both the touring and the home contingents will have to enter the bio-bubble ahead of the series. "We will be needing nearly 100 rooms to accommodate the players, support staff, match officials, telecast crew etc for the duration of the tour. They are likely to be put up in one of the hotels in Kovalam," he said.



The last time India played international cricket was on March 8, 2020, in the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup. Since then, they have played only in the Women's T20 Challenge that happened in the United Arab Emirates in November.



With the domestic season yet to begin, many players are currently playing invitation tournaments across the country to keep themselves fit and stay in touch with the game.