IND vs WI | Hyderabad to host India’s T20I opener against West Indies
BCCI has confirmed that the venues for the first and third T20Is against the Windies have been swapped, with Hyderabad set to host the first game. The decision comes after Mumbai Police expressed their inability to provide security, given that the game falls on the same day as other historic events.
The BCCI announced on Wednesday that Hyderabad would be the new hosts for India’s T20I opener against West Indies, after Mumbai police informed them of their inability to provide security coverage. Further, the venues would be swapped, enabling Mumbai to host the final T20I on the 11th of December.
The Mumbai Police have alerted the BCCI that on December 6, the whole city would be on high alert, due to the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition and also the “Mahaparinirvan Din” of B. R. Ambedkar. Lakhs of Ambedkar followers are expected to crowd up the city on the day in and around his memorial in Dadar. The city last hosted a T20I game back in December 2017 against Sri Lanka.
“The 1st T20I between India and West Indies, which was scheduled to be played in Mumbai on the 6th of December, 2019 has now been shifted to Hyderabad. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium will now play host to the T20I series opener between the two teams,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement according to the PTI. “The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the 3rd T20I between India and West Indies on 11th December, 2019,” the statement further read.
However, there are no other changes in the schedule as Thiruvananthapuram is expected to host the second T20I as per the original schedule.