India to play Tests at Indore, Rajkot, Vizag, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Pune
Thursday 9 June 2016 12:38, UK
India will play Test matches at six new venues over the next year.
Indore, Rajkot, Vizag, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Pune will all host Test matches for the first time during a busy 2016/17 season for India when they will play 13 Tests against four visiting teams, including England.
The central Indian city of Indore will debut as a Test venue when New Zealand visit later this year to play three Tests - one of them is likely to be a day-nighter - and five one-day internationals.
The subsequent series against England will see the western Indian city of Rajkot and the coastal venue of Vizag host Tests for the first time.
Apart from five Tests, England will also play three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals.
Set at the foot of the Himalayas, the picturesque Dharamsala will host its first Test when Australia arrive in February to play four Tests in India.
The series will also feature two new venues - Ranchi, the home town of India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and the western Indian city of Pune.
Bangladesh will also play a one-off Test at Hyderabad.
"I welcome the new Test venues hosting this prestigious format of cricket and their arrival will take Test match cricket to every corner of the country," said Indian cricket board (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur.
BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke added: "Some of the best teams of world cricket are coming to play in India this season and we are excited to announce the schedule well ahead of time.
"This gives the staging associations and the BCCI sufficient time to prepare and present one of the most memorable cricketing seasons for our fans."
The BCCI also said the domestic Duleep Trophy tournament in September will be played under lights and with a pink ball for the first time in the country.
