NEWS
Follow UsThe recently-concluded limited-overs series between India and Sri Lanka helped Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) earn a revenue of USD 14.5 million, according to a report on The New Indian Express Initially, the series was limited to just three One-Day Internationals (ODI), but after a request from SLC, the BCCI agreed to add three T20 Internationals (T20I) to the tour.
A second-string Indian side led by Shikhar Dhawan won the ODI series 2-1 but lost the T20I series by the same margin. The series was marred by many Covid-19 cases, but it went ahead nevertheless.
Krunal Pandya had tested positive mid-way through the tournament and he along with his close contacts were put in quarantine. As a result, India had very few first-choice players for the last two T20Is.
The Virat Kohli-led Indian side was in England, preparing for the five-match Test series.
"On behalf of the SLC president Shammi Silva and the members of the executive committee, I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to the BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah for agreeing to send the India team during the pandemic and that has helped Sri Lanka Cricket fulfill its obligations in terms of complying with international commitments and retaining our commercial values," said Mohan de Silva, SLC secretary in a statement to The New Indian Express.
"We also acknowledge with gratitude the generosity of the BCCI in agreeing to play additional three T20 games during this tour which has benefitted SLC to enhance its financial value in a big way," he added.
The money earned by SLC will not just help them write off their losses to a certain extent but will go a long way in continuing their development programs.
"This revenue will enable SLC to meet its financial obligations in completing many infrastructure development projects and also in establishing five high-performance centres at provincial levels and providing excellent facilities for players to develop their skills," de Silva said.
