The India tour of Sri Lanka series, which comprised of three ODIs and as many T20Is, saw the tourists win the ODI series while the hosts seal the T20I series.
Despite the impact of the pandemic, the series proved to be beneficial for Sri Lanka. The board was expecting a profit of Rs. 89.7 crore from the series just by selling the ground and TV rights of the series but Sri Lanka Cricket earned about Rs. 107 crore.
The SLC Secretary, Mohan de Silva said, “According to the FTP (Future Tours Program) the tour was only for 3 ODIs, but our President Shammi Silva managed to persuade the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to give us an additional 3 T20Is which resulted in the enhancement of the commercial value. It was made possible because of the relationship we have cultivated with the Indian Cricket Board. We got $ 14.5 million from broadcasting and other rights like ground, etc.”
The series was on the verge of getting cancelled after the COVID-19 cases emerged from both camps. It was the collaboration and co-operation of both the boards which made the series conclude successfully.
The Indian camp was severely affected by the deadly virus due to which the tourists had to play the last two fixtures of the bilateral series with a depleted squad.
De Silva added that “Even the Indian High Commissioner was concerned and the BCCI. In this context, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of SLC to the management of the Indian team, Rahul Dravid and the others, and the BCCI who monitored the situation. They wanted certain guidance given by us and the assurances, which we did by moving the patient to another hotel and so on, and we continued with the tour.”