Sourav Ganguly said on Tuesday that England would play four Tests and five T20Is instead of the scheduled five Test matches and three T20Is in their tour of India next year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India president also iterated that the Board would try its best to stage the next edition of the IPL in India.

This year’s IPL had to be shifted to the UAE in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“England is touring India for four Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is,” Ganguly said on the sidelines of a promotional. “It is easier to have bilaterals than having eight-nine or 10 teams as it involves less people, but we have to keep assessing the situation.

“Of course, we would like to have the next IPL here in India. I was telling people in UAE, ‘You need to see how the IPL is when it happens in India.’

“Having said that, we need to monitor the Covid situation here. There has been a rise in cases in some places, while it also needs to be seen if there’s any possibility of a second wave.”

Sourav also revealed that he underwent as many as 22 Covid-19 tests in the past four-and-a half-months while trying to navigate his professional commitments.

In Australia, Team India completed its quarantine on the day, and Virat Kohli and his men are all “fit and fine” for the first ODI in Sydney on Friday, Sourav added.