The BCCI announced the venue change for the December 13 match due to renovation work and potential weather disruption.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday that the first One Day International (ODI) between India and Sri Lanka has been moved from Delhi to Visakhapatnam. According to The Indian Express, the match originally scheduled for December 13, 2026, will now be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
The venue change follows a request from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The BCCI stated the shift was necessitated by proposed renovation work at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and potential weather disruption. News18 reported that the DDCA also flagged concerns regarding the air quality in Delhi.
A senior official from the DDCA told Sportstar that the renovation aims to provide better infrastructure, including new pitches and an outfield. The association is also installing a modern drainage facility at the stadium to ensure play can resume quickly regardless of rain.
The second ODI remains scheduled for December 16 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, while the third ODI will take place on December 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The subsequent three T20I matches are set for Rajkot, Cuttack, and Pune.
