BCCI end all the speculations today and said that the Nidahas T20 series, will continue despite a state emergency in Sri Lanka following communal violence.
Read: Where to watch Nidahas Trophy 2018, Full Squads, Match Timings and Live Scores.
The BCCI has confirmed that the “Situation is perfectly normal in Colombo” where the tournament is taking place, hours before India were to take on the hosts in the opening fixture of Nidahas Trophy at Premadasa Stadium.
“There have been reports of curfew and an emergency being called in Sri Lanka. The situation in picture is in Kandy and not Colombo. This is to notify everyone that after talking to concerned security personnel (Ministerial security division – in charge of team security), we have understood that the situation is completely normal in Colombo. If at all there is any update on the same we shall notify,” Indian team’s media cell issued an official press note from Colombo.
Government has declared a state emergency in Sri Lanka for 10 days to control in the spread of communal violence, a day after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the country’s central district of Kandy.
The distance from Colombo to Kandy is 133 kms.
The government decision to declare emergency came after a Buddhist man was killed and a mob set fire to a Muslim-owned shop.
The violence in Kandy is understood to have been sparked when a group of Muslim men in Digana town were accused of killing a man belonging to the majority Sinhala Buddhist community, who make up about 75% of the population.
Muslim-owned shops were set alight in response and the violence spiralled out of control after monks from hardline Buddhist groups travelled to the town to negotiate the release of the accused men.
When they failed to do so, more fires were lit, dozens of people were arrested and a curfew was imposed in two towns in the district.
