India to play Tests and ODIs on South Africa tour, T20Is postponed

Dark clouds were looming over India's tour of South Africa due to the steady rise of Omicron Variant of Covid-19 in the country. However, the BCCI has confirmed that India will tour South Africa for the series.

There is a minor tweak in the schedule though as the teams will play the Test and ODI series but the T20Is have been postponed for now. The team was set to depart for South Africa in the second week of December, with the first Test on December 17. However, there could be a small delay in their departure which could alter the schedule.

The Omicron variant is considered to be far more dangerous and contagious than previous variants of COVID-19. Several countries have imposed a ban on travellers from South Africa. The same forced the South Africa-Netherlands series to be called off.

However, with India A team already in South Africa, the BCCI was satisfied with the bio bubble which may have prompted them to go ahead with the tour. The team will travel to South Africa via charted flight. The players won't be required to serve hard quarantine as it will be a bubble to bubble transfer.

“The information we received is that the bio-bubble created by CSA is safe and secured. Also there hasn’t been a lot of data available as of now as to how severe and detrimental it could be. Also we have not received any communication from the government on not going ahead with the tour.

“The team will enter the bubble shortly and travel by a charter flight. Even if there is a delay, it will be bubble to bubble transfer and hence no hard quarantine will be required,” the source said.