6th June 2023, Mumbai: Following the conclusion of the World Test Championship 2023 Final, the Indian cricket team is set to embark on their next venture, a tour of the West Indies comprising two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is. The Test matches are expected to be played in Trinidad and Dominica, marking the initial cricketing action between India and the West Indies.
As per a provisional schedule distributed by Cricket West Indies (CWI), the first six white-ball matches, including ODIs and T20Is, will take place in Barbados, Trinidad, and Guyana. The final two T20Is are scheduled to be held in Florida, USA, as reported by Cricbuzz. The series is slated to commence on July 12 and conclude on August 13, with the Indian squad likely to depart for the Caribbean on July 5 and 6. The official dates for the matches will be announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) once the scheduling process is finalized.
While the boards of BCCI and CWI have yet to formalize an agreement for the two additional T20Is, discussions and decision-making are expected to take place during their meeting at the World Test Championship final in London.
In an interesting development, there are indications that Hardik Pandya might be appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the T20 series against the West Indies. This move comes as the selectors assess Pandya’s performance in preparation for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
Viacom18 has secured the digital rights for the series, taking over from JioCinema, which previously held the rights for IPL 2023. Viacom18 will stream the matches for free on its digital platform. The digital rights were sublicensed to Viacom18 by Dream Sports, the parent company of FanCode, which holds the rights to bilateral matches involving Cricket West Indies.Furthermore, Dream Sports intends to negotiate a deal with the national broadcaster Prasar Bharati for the linear rights, aiming to air the matches on the television channel DD Sports, in accordance with their existing agreement.
“We are working on various arrangements for the series. While the matches will be available on FanCode, we may also share the content with a couple of other platforms, both linear and digital,” stated a Dream Sports executive, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Article by PRITESH PATEL