India is scheduled to tour South Africa from December 17. The tour has been curtailed to three Tests and three ODIs, while the four T20Is will now be played later.
India will be touring South Africa from December 17, as the teams are scheduled to leave on December 8/9, right after the ongoing second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. However, the tour was threatened following the emergence of the new COVID variant Omicron in the southern hemisphere of Africa.
As a result, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called for an emergency meeting on Saturday. During this, it was decided to curtail the tour for now. BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed to ANI that the trip will go ahead as planned, with the three Tests and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) being played for now. At the same time, the four Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) scheduled would be played at a later date.
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Although the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) are yet to confirm the news officially, it is unclear if Omicron is the reason for curtailing the tour or bubble fatigue. Also, the break after the ODIs will give the Indians some time to recapitulate before the limited-overs home series against the Windies from February 6.
India's tour of South Africa 2021-22 (Full schedule)
1st Test: December 26-30 - Centurion
2nd Test: December 3-7 - Johannesburg
3rd Test: January 11-15 - Cape Town
1st ODI: January TBA - Cape Town
2nd ODI: January TBA - Cape Town
3rd ODI: January TBA - Cape Town