The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo is set to receive floodlights and several upgrades as Sri Lanka prepares to co-host the Men’s T20 World Cup with India.
The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo is undergoing upgrades, including the installation of floodlights, for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka is co-hosting the tournament with India in February and March next year. This development will allow the historic ground to host day-night international matches for the first time.
The SSC is scheduled to host five World Cup matches. Its first fixture requiring the new lights will be the Group B game between Oman and Zimbabwe on February 9.
Other matches include a day game between Netherlands and Pakistan on February 7 and a night game between Pakistan and USA on February 10. Colombo’s primary day-night venue, the R Premadasa Stadium (Khettarama), will host at least eight games. Pallekele, the only non-Colombo venue in Sri Lanka, will host seven.
Building floodlights at the SSC opens new possibilities for Sri Lankan cricket. It makes hosting day-night Test matches in the country a viable option. While Khettarama is preferred for limited-overs cricket, the SSC and P Sara Oval remain the top choices for Test matches due to their reputation as boutique venues. Sri Lanka has never hosted a day-night Test, a fact past Test captains have noted by asking the board to arrange one.
SLC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that floodlights construction were already under way at the SSC. The International Cricket Council announced the full tournament schedule on Tuesday. The World Cup will be played from February 7 to March 8 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.