New Delhi, 06 August (H.S.):

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has revised the schedule for the Indian women’s cricket team’s tour of South Africa in December, adding three T20 International matches to the itinerary. Initially, the tour was scheduled to feature only three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a one-off Test match. The T20I series has been included keeping in mind India’s preparations for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in February next year.

According to the revised schedule, the tour will now begin with the one-off Test match, which will be played from December 9 to 12 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. It will be followed by a three-match ODI series. The first ODI will be played in Paarl on December 16, the second in Cape Town on December 19, and the third in Bloemfontein on December 22.

The final phase of the tour will consist of three T20 International matches. The first T20I will be played on December 26 (Boxing Day) in Benoni, while the second and third matches will take place in Potchefstroom on December 29 and 30, respectively.

Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki, in an official statement, said, We are pleased to confirm the revised schedule for India’s tour of South Africa. Adding a T20I series during the festive period will provide our women’s team with an excellent opportunity to prepare for the first ICC Women’s Champions Trophy to be held in Sri Lanka next year.

He further added, India is one of the strongest teams in world cricket. The opportunity to compete against them across all three formats will be extremely valuable for our team and will help in preparations for the upcoming ICC tournament.

Earlier this year in April, the Indian women’s team toured South Africa, where they suffered a 1-4 defeat in a five-match T20I series. Later, South Africa also defeated India in the T20 World Cup, resulting in India’s elimination from the group stage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar