Image Credit: BCCI
BCCI Shuffles Venues for 2025 Home Season
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced changes to several key venues in its 2025 international home season schedule. The decision affects high-profile fixtures involving West Indies, South Africa, and Australia, and is aimed at ensuring optimal pitch conditions, better crowd management, and efficient logistical execution across match locations.
BCCI Venue Changes for Men’s Fixtures
India’s home season is set to begin with a two-match Test series against the West Indies. The first Test will proceed as planned at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from October 2. However, the second Test has been moved from Kolkata to New Delhi and will commence on October 10. In a reciprocal switch, Eden Gardens in Kolkata will now host the opening Test against South Africa from November 14, a match that was earlier assigned to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
These changes were implemented following detailed assessments of infrastructure readiness, climate conditions, and ground availability during the peak cricketing calendar.
Women’s ODI Series Relocated
The India vs Australia women’s ODI series has also undergone a complete venue shuffle due to renovation work at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. The first two matches will now be held at Sector 16 Stadium in Chandigarh, while the third ODI will take place in New Delhi. This shift not only ensures player safety during stadium upgrades but also brings elite women’s cricket to northern venues, expanding the sport’s reach and fan engagement in new regions.
India A Matches Moved to Rajkot
India A’s scheduled one-day series against South Africa A, originally set to be hosted at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from November 13, has been relocated to Rajkot. The change is attributed to pitch recovery needs in Bengaluru following a packed domestic and IPL season. The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot will now provide the platform for these crucial developmental matches.
The BCCI has confirmed that all other fixtures across men’s, women’s, and A-team schedules remain unchanged. These proactive decisions reflect the board’s intent to ensure readiness across hosting venues while maintaining high standards of match quality, player welfare, and broadcast experience.
By realigning the schedule well in advance, the BCCI has signaled its commitment to delivering a seamless and professionally managed home season across all formats and levels of the game.
