India vs Australia Tests May Get Pushed Back; T20Is Could be Scrapped for IPL 2020: Report

Coronavirus has taken a toll on everything, and has managed to disturb BCCI's schedule as well. Starting from March, it has led to many changes and cancellations of series.

Also the BCCI was to have a camp for centrally contracted players from July, but that has also gone for a toss, due to the existing lockdown norms in the country.

"Please remember, without the central government and respective state government approvals, the BCCI cannot do anything," say those tracking developments, according to a report in the Times of India.

As far as the IPL is concerned, which the board is leaving no stone unturned to make it a possibility, is expected to eat into the early part of the Australia series, which the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed, is going to take place.

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"The present (interim) schedule for Australia tour was released by Cricket Australia (CA) with the first Test to begin on December 3. Also, to note is a three-match T20 series that was scheduled ahead of the Tests, to be followed by a three-match ODI series.

"One of those two - either T20s or ODIs - will have to be cancelled. Most likely the T20s because the format was put in place keeping the T20 World Cup in Australia in mind. Now, that' not happening, and IPL is. The start of the Test series will also be pushed by a week," say those in the know.

Also the team will be likely play two warm-up games to, pushing the start of the first Test to December 10.

"The president talked about a shortened quarantine. What he may have meant was that players will go through two separate Corona tests before leaving for Australia and two tests after landing there and if all are negative, health authorities are indicating that two weeks of lockdown won't be necessarily mandatory. Teams can start practice," say sources.

Also changes are expected in the England series too, that is scheduled right after this one.

"Changes will be made to that schedule too. England are likely to play three Tests in India instead of five, followed by five T20s and five ODIs. That will also help compensate the host broadcaster who lost the India-South Africa series in March due to Covid," sources add.

To also compensate for the loss of IPL window, the BCCI will look to conduct the tournament in March again.

While none of the developments can be said confirmed, but all could happen withing the next two weeks, following the nod from the central government for the IPL.