Pollution woes? BCCI shifts November Test out of Delhi in fixtures overhaul
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a few changes to the international home fixtures involving the senior men's and women's teams for the 2025–26 season. One of the most notable adjustments is the relocation of a Test match originally scheduled to be played in New Delhi in November.India were set to face South Africa in a Test match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from November 14. That match will now be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In turn, New Delhi will host a Test against the touring West Indies side that was initially slated for Kolkata in October.advertisementWhen the BCCI first announced the schedule in April, concerns were raised about the safety of hosting a Test match in Delhi during November, due to the city's recurring pollution issues in winter. At the time, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia dismissed those concerns, stating that pollution in Delhi is not a year-round problem.
However, on Monday, June 9, the BCCI officially updated the schedule, effectively ensuring that Delhi does not host any matches during the peak winter months.'The 2nd Test against the West Indies, originally slated for Kolkata, will now be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Meanwhile, the 1st Test against South Africa, starting November 14, 2025, has been shifted from New Delhi to Eden Gardens in Kolkata,' the BCCI said in a statement, without specifying a reason for the change.advertisementThe last Test match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was held in February 2023, when India defeated Australia by six wickets. However, the previous Test at the venue, played in December 2017 against Sri Lanka, was marred by controversy after Sri Lankan players complained of breathing difficulties due to poor air quality.HOME SEASON SCHEDULE FOR SENIOR MEN'S TEAMWest Indies Tour of India1st Test – Thu, 02-Oct-25 to Mon, 06-Oct-25 | 9:30 AM | Ahmedabad2nd Test – Fri, 10-Oct-25 to Tue, 14-Oct-25 | 9:30 AM | DelhiSouth Africa Tour of India1st Test – Fri, 14-Nov-25 to Tue, 18-Nov-25 | 9:30 AM | Kolkata2nd Test – Sat, 22-Nov-25 to Wed, 26-Nov-25 | 9:30 AM | Guwahati1st ODI – Sun, 30-Nov-25 | 1:30 PM | Ranchi2nd ODI – Wed, 03-Dec-25 | 1:30 PM | Raipur3rd ODI – Sat, 06-Dec-25 | 1:30 PM | Vizag1st T20I – Tue, 09-Dec-25 | 7:00 PM | Cuttack2nd T20I – Thu, 11-Dec-25 | 7:00 PM | New Chandigarh3rd T20I – Sun, 14-Dec-25 | 7:00 PM | Dharamsala4th T20I – Wed, 17-Dec-25 | 7:00 PM | Lucknow5th T20I – Fri, 19-Dec-25 | 7:00 PM | AhmedabadIn addition, the BCCI has announced changes to the venues for the women's three-match ODI series between India and Australia, scheduled from September 14 to 20. Due to the ongoing revamp of the outfield and pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the first two ODIs have been moved to the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh. The third and final ODI will now be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.Australia Women's Tour of India 1st ODI on September 14 in New Chandigarh 2nd ODI on September 17 in New Chandigarh 3rd ODI on September 20 in New DelhiadvertisementThe BCCI also confirmed fixtures for two A tours featuring visiting South Africa A and Australia A teams. India A will play two unofficial Tests and 3 one-dayers in each of the two series. Australia Men's A Tour of India – 20251st Multi-Day Match: September 16–19, 2025 | 9:30 AM | Lucknow2nd Multi-Day Match: September 23–26, 2025 | 9:30 AM | Lucknow1st One-Day Match: September 30, 2025 | 1:30 PM | Kanpur2nd One-Day Match: October 3, 2025 | 1:30 PM | Kanpur3rd One-Day Match: October 5, 2025 | 1:30 PM | KanpurSouth Africa Men's A Tour of India - 20251st Multi-Day Match: October 30 – November 2, 2025 | 9:30 AM | BCCI COE2nd Multi-Day Match: November 6 – 9, 2025 | 9:30 AM | BCCI COE1st One-Day Match: November 13, 2025 | 1:30 PM | Rajkot2nd One-Day Match: November 16, 2025 | 1:30 PM | Rajkot3rd One-Day Match: November 19, 2025 | 1:30 PM | RajkotMust Watch
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