Bangladesh Cricket Board shift third ODI against India to Chittagong from Dhaka in the wake of protests
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have announced its decision to move the third one-day international between India and Bangladesh from Dhaka to Chittagong.
Initially, all three games were scheduled to be hosted at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. However, the third ODI, slated to be held on December 10 has now been moved away from the capital city in anticipation of protests that may rise from a political rally.
India are set to visit Bangladesh for the first time since 2015 for a bilateral series. The Men in Blue last visited their neighboring country for the 2016 Asia Cup.
India's Bangladesh tour will begin on December 4. After the conclusion of the ODI series on December 10, the two teams will also lock horns for the Test series from December 14. It will be important for India given their current position in the World Test Championships.
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Confirming the venue change ahead of Team India's visit, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP on Wednesday:
"Chittagong was originally scheduled to host one Test. We felt there should be an ODI at the venue too."
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is expected to carry out a rally in the capital city on December 10. Protests have become a norm in the nation as the citizens aim to push for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation amid political turmoil.
Team India expected to reach Bangladesh soon for the upcoming tour
India last faced Bangladesh in the recently-concluded T20I World Cup Down Under. The Men in Blue won the rain-interrupted game by five runs (D/L method) in the Super 12s stages of the tournament.
India last faced Bangladesh in the 50-over format back in England at the 2019 ODI World Cup. Led by Virat Kohli, India won that game by 28 runs.
The timing for India vs Bangladesh series:
ODI - 11.30 am
Test - 9 am
A BCB official seeking anonymity told New Age on Sunday:
"The BCB move came amid political volatility involving the divisional mass rally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on December 10."
Bangladesh whitewashed West Indies 3-0 but suffered a 2-1 loss at the hands of Zimbabwe in their recent ODI ventures. Their Test ambitions are grim at the moment as they are currently placed at the bottom of the WTC rankings.
Will Team India continue their dominant run during the upcoming tour of Bangladesh? Let us know what you think.