MCA ready to host India Vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I on Jan 5 in Pune

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 27 (ANI): Ahead of the India-Sri Lanka series at home, Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) caretaking secretary Riyaz Bagban said that all arrangements and preparations have been made for the second T20I between both the sides on January 5 and all the instructions related to COVID-19 will be adhered to.

Sri Lanka will be touring India from January 3 to January 15 for three T20Is and three ODIs. “Arrangements and preparations are good. Maharashtra is one of the best hosts, we get this report from every corner of the country. Even BCCI has appreciated it. That is why we get matches to host,” said Bagban to ANI on Monday to ANI.

Bagban said that all instructions related to COVID-19 will be adhered to once the state or central government or BCCI issues them. “Till yet, we have not received any such instructions. We will adhere to them once they are issued. We are currently making arrangements to organise the match with a 100 per cent crowd.

With the rise in COVID-19 cases in China, India is on high alert and preparations are going on at state, centre government levels to make sure that the nation is well-equipped to face any health emergency if it arrives. He said that a crowd of at least 30,000 people is expected.

“Whenever matches happen in Pune, crowds are full. Even when IPL matches were played with 50 per cent capacity due to COVID-19, 50 per cent stands were full and there was a lot of demand to make it to 75 per cent,” he concluded. India recently was on a tour of Bangladesh in December, where they lost the ODI series by 2-1 and won the Test series by 2-0.