The first one-day international between India and Sri Lanka on December 13 will not be played in Delhi. The BCCI has moved the match to the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, and the date stays exactly where it was.
The board confirmed the switch on November 5 through its official X handle. The post carried the headline: "First ODI between India and Sri Lanka to be held on December 13 shifted from Delhi to Visakhapatnam." Fans who had planned around a Delhi trip now have a new city to consider, and the stadium they were expecting is off the schedule for this series opener.
Why the match is moving
The change came at the request of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, known as DDCA. According to the reasons outlined in the report, the association told the BCCI that weather could disrupt the game. The concern was a possible interruption caused by rain or other weather problems on match day.
A second factor is the renovation work planned at the Delhi stadium. The report says renovation was proposed for the venue, and that work played a role in the decision to find a different ground for the opening match.
Some reports have speculated that pollution may also be a factor behind the decision. The BCCI’s statement does not mention pollution. It cites only the weather concern and the stadium work, so those two reasons are the official explanation for the move.
What changes for the series
The Delhi stadium will not host this match. The replacement venue is the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, where the first ODI will now be played. The match is still set for December 13, 2026, so the schedule itself has not been rearranged.
That detail matters for anyone holding travel plans or waiting to see where the series begins. The venue is the only thing that has moved. The date, the teams and the match status remain as previously announced.
The fixture is also the first Muthoot FinCorp ODI between India and Sri Lanka. The BCCI’s announcement pointed to this sponsored series opener in the same update that confirmed the venue change, so the match carries the same billing even in its new city.
The Andhra Pradesh angle
Visakhapatnam is in Andhra Pradesh, which makes this change more than a line on a fixture list for the state. The city now gets to host an India international on its home ground at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. For local cricket fans, that means a chance to see the national side play in person without traveling to Delhi.
The report does not say how many tickets will be available or how the stadium is being prepared for the match. Those details will matter to fans in the city, and the BCCI has not addressed them in the statement covered here.
What fans should watch next
The most important number for supporters is the date. December 13 has not changed. The most important location is the new one. The match will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, not in Delhi.
The BCCI has kept its explanation narrow. Weather risk and renovation work are the stated reasons, and the DDCA request is the trigger for the switch. Any further update on ticketing, logistics or the rest of the series will need to come from the board itself. For now, the move is clear, and the clock on the new venue has started.
TL;DR
- The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka on December 13 has moved from Delhi to Visakhapatnam.
- The BCCI announced the venue change on X on November 5, 2026.
- The Delhi and District Cricket Association requested the shift, citing weather interruption risk.
- Planned renovation work at the Delhi stadium is also a stated reason for the move.
- The match date remains unchanged, and it will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
- Visakhapatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, now hosts the opening match of the series.
