Sri Lanka Requests India for August White-Ball Series After Bangladesh Tour Postponed

India was originally scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August for six white-ball matches—a three-match ODI series and three-match T20I series. Both cricket boards had even announced the itinerary. But the series has now been postponed by a year due to packed international schedules and calendar clashes.

Seizing the gap in August, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has moved quickly to try and host India instead. According to cricket website Cricbuzz, SLC has formally requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to consider playing a short white-ball series in Sri Lanka during that window.

A BCCI source told Cricbuzz on Tuesday:

“We have received a request from SLC, but we haven't decided yet. We need to see how the Asia Cup situation plays out. Everything is connected.”

This doesn’t rule out the possibility of holding both the Asia Cup and a bilateral series with Sri Lanka, but the BCCI wants to consult with players and team management before confirming.

BCCI secretary Debajit Saikia is due in London this week to watch the Lord’s Test, where he is expected to discuss the proposal with India captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Only after those talks will BCCI respond formally to Sri Lanka’s request.

If the series does happen, it could mark a return to ODI cricket for India’s two biggest stars—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—who have both retired from T20Is and Tests but continue to play the 50-over format.

Cricbuzz reports:

“India was originally scheduled to play six white-ball games in Bangladesh from August 17 to 31, but both boards postponed the series to next year citing international commitments and calendar constraints.”

Meanwhile, there’s still uncertainty over whether the Asia Cup will even be held. Cricbuzz says a final decision on that tournament is expected within the next 2–3 days. If the Asia Cup does not go ahead, the chances of an India-Sri Lanka series in August will become significantly stronger.