Government of India proposes a match against the World XI for Independence day celebration

According to reports, the government has sent a proposal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to organise a cricket match between India and the rest of the world. The match will be played on August 22 as part of the 75th anniversary of India's independence celebrations.

The Ministry of Culture, which sent the request, is in negotiations with BCCI officials to attempt to get prominent Indian players as well as popular international cricketers to play the match as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign.

According to BCCI sources, the suggestion is being considered at this moment. There are many "operational and logistical elements" related to obtaining the services of foreign players, said the source.

"We have received a proposal from the government to organise a cricket match between India XI and World XI on August 22. For the rest of the world squad, we would need at least 13-14 international players and their availability is something that we need to check on," said the source, as quoted by NDTV Sports.

He said that during that period, English domestic cricket will be underway, as would the Caribbean Premier League. The BCCI is also exploring whether international players should be paid monetarily for their participation.

As for the international cricketers, senior BCCI officials will be in Birmingham for the ICC annual meeting (July 22-26). They may contact authorities from other boards to have a few of their players released for the match in India.

India's three-ODI series against Zimbabwe concludes on August 20. Some of the players in this series may not arrive until August 22 and hence will not be available. Top players including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant, who are not travelling to Zimbabwe, will be available before the Asia Cup begins on August 27 in Sri Lanka.

They stated that the main focus at this moment is ensuring that the World XI team is of the highest calibre.