The Board of Cricket Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to their English counterparts, requesting that the Test series between India and England be rescheduled to begin a week earlier than expected, in order to provide a window for the rest of the IPL 2021 season.
The BCCI needs the five-match Test series in the UK to start a week earlier than the original date of August 4th. The BCCI is yet to receive a response from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
The BCCI needs the final Test to conclude by September 7 so that the IPL 2021 can wrap up before the T20 World Cup in October-November.
The final Test is reportedly set to end on September 14th.
With a number of COVID-19 cases in the tournament bio-bubble, the IPL season was halted. The tournament was unexpectedly suspended after twenty-nine matches, with the season just over halfway into the league level.
The IPL may be relocated to the UAE, but a consortium of county clubs has offered to host the flagship T20 tournament in the United Kingdom.
India will play six Tests in the United Kingdom. Their tour will kick off on June 18 with the final of the World Test Championship. After that, there will be a five-match Test series against England, with matches at Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley, Oval, and Old Trafford. Before travelling to the UK, the Indian contingent will be quarantined in Mumbai.
