File photo of Indian players.
South Africa and New Zealand may visit India for back-to-back bilateral T20I series in early October as dress-rehearsal series ahead of the T20 World Cup in October-November, reported Times of India.
The BCCI is already in talks with the respective cricket boards for the back-to-back bilateral series before the T20 World Cup in India.
“South Africa and New Zealand are scheduled to come to India to play a couple of T20I series before the World Cup. The modalities are to be finalized. The board is aware that the team needs to be in touch with the format before the Cup starts,” a senior BCCI official told TOI.
Last year in March, South Africa's tour of India was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic and both the boards already have an agreement to play a series to compensate it. At the moment, India vs England T20I series is the only shortest format games that India get to play before hosting the World Cup from October 18.
However, a jam-packed calendar awaits India as they will travel to England in June right after the IPL to play the World Test Championship final, followed by a one-month stay in England for Test series from mid-September. Asia Cup is also slated in late-June, where BCCI is mulling to send a second-string Indian team.
