BCCI moves India-Sri Lanka ODI opener to Visakhapatnam

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has moved the first men’s one-day international between India and Sri Lanka from New Delhi to Visakhapatnam, keeping the match date unchanged at December 13, 2026. The opener will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, the board said. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said the decision followed a request from the Delhi and District Cricket Association, which cited potential weather disruption and proposed renovation work at the Delhi stadium. The match had been scheduled for the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The BCCI announcement did not change the fixture date or start time. The planned stadium work includes an overhaul of the drainage system, according to reporting on the renovation. The project is also expected to replace the ground’s soil-based outfield with a sand-based surface and involve relaying pitches and restoring grass. Those details were not included in the BCCI explanation quoted in the announcement. A separate report also cited concerns about Delhi’s air pollution in December, including the possibility that the Air Quality Index could rise above 350. That was not among the reasons stated in the BCCI explanation. Poor air quality...