"It is very likely" - BCCI hopeful of having fans at Motera, Pune games vs England

The BCCI is reportedly targeting a return of fans to the stadiums for the India vs England clashes scheduled in Ahmedabad and Pune.

While the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad will host two Tests and five T20Is, the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will be the venue for the three-match ODI series between India and England.

BCCI had earlier approached the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to allow fans inside the stadium.

But their request for 50% occupancy for the first two Tests against England was rejected by the body citing COVID-19 concerns.

Now, a senior BCCI official, speaking to the Times of India, suggested a return of fans for the England games may be on the cards post the Chennai Tests.

"The board has been in talks with the two concerned association. It is very likely that these venues will see cricket being played with fans in the stands once all the clearances from the health authorities are attained," he said.

Grand ✅Superbly equipped ✅Welcome to the Motera - the biggest cricket stadium in the world. 👏👏 @GCAMotera | #SyedMushtaqAliT20 pic.twitter.com/KoNodrgcMf

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 26, 2021

The third India vs England Test will be a pink-ball affair and will be the first international fixture to be held at the revamped Motera stadium.

The BCCI is keen to host the event with great fanfare and is therefore targeting a return of fans to the stadium.

The Motera stadium has a capacity of 1 lakh spectators. To comply with the safety guidelines, the BCCI may agree to allow about 25,000 to 30,000 fans inside the stadium.

If it happens, it will be the first instance of fans being allowed inside a cricket stadium for an international fixture in India since the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year.

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India and England already in quarantine ahead of Chennai Test

📍 Chennai, India@root66 and the team have arrived in India ahead of our four-match Test series 🇮🇳🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/GT06p9Ru4u

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2021

Both India and England will get just three days to train before the first Test in Chennai.

The two sides checked into Hotel Leela Palace in Chennai on January 27, where they will undergo a six-day quarantine.

While the 32-member English contingent led by skipper Joe Root arrived from Sri Lanka on Wednesday, players like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Rory Burns already began their quarantine last weekend.

Players from the Indian team also arrived in batches on January 27.