Reports | South Africa women’s series set to be hosted in Lucknow

Post the Women’s T20 Challenge, the Indian women’s team have not yet hit the ground against an international side, with their clash against Australian women being cancelled earlier this year. Since that roadblock, it was the South Africa women’s team that confirmed their participation in an eight-match limited-overs series scheduled to be played out in Kerala. 

However, due to several logistical troubles, later, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) pulled itself out, putting the board under pressure to find another venue in the last hour. After deliberation, the venue was finally decided on Tuesday, with Lucknow playing as hosts for the eight limited-overs clashes between the two highly-rated countries. 

It would not only mark a return for the Indian women’s team but also would mark the return of women’s cricket in the country, with the T20 Challenge being played in the Middle-East. With the venues finalised, the dates of the series are too locked-in, with the games starting from March 7 with the final T20 being played on March 24, over the period of 17 days. 

"It is true that the UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) has been allotted the women's series against South Africa and all the eight games will be played in Lucknow," Shreyans Kartikeya, UPCA's senior manager - cricket operations, confirmed to Cricbuzz. 

Now the only logistical part remaining - assembling the teams and completing the required protocols for COVID-19 testing, before they could take the field on March 7. 

"Getting match ready will be a challenge for Indian players but the most important this thing that the series is finally happening. The players needed this badly," said the BCCI official, reported NDTV.