Fans will be allowed inside stadiums for India's series against New Zealand

Right after the T20 World Cup, Team India will begin its T20I series against New Zealand at home. BCCI is all set to allow spectators inside stadiums for the series. This will be the first time audience will be allowed to attend the games since the series against England earlier this year where limited crowds were allowed.

"Hopefully, we will have full spectators," BCCI President Sourav Ganguly told Sportstar. However, state associations and governments are likely to have the final word with only a certain percentage of spectators allowed inside the stadium. They will also have to strictly adhere to the latest health protocols and directives from the government.

New Zealand's tour of India begins with a T20I series that kicks off at Jaipur on November 17 and wraps up at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The tour will also consist of two Test matches to be played in Kanpur and Kolkata before reaching its conclusion on December 7.

On Friday, the West Bengal government already issued a directive allowing stadiums to function at 70% capacity. This will provide a major boost to the Eden Gardens which is all set to host its first international match since the Pink Ball Test against Bangladesh in November 2019. Even at 70% capacity, Eden Gardens can hold around 50,000 passionate fans and supporters.

"Now that the nod from the state government has been received, we are also hopeful that the BCCI too would accord its consent (for the 70 percent capacity)," CAB President Avishek Dalmiya had earlier told The Telegraph.

"We have been told to allow 70 percent crowd in the stadium for the T20. We will soon start issuing tickets for the game. It will also be available online," CAB secretary Snehasish Ganguly recently said.

Despite allowing fans to attend the Test series against England, BCCI had to cancel that directive for the limited overs series as COVID-19 cases continued to spike in the country eventually leading to the second wave. However, with mass vaccination having gained a steady footing and COVID cases in continual decline for months, now is a good time to have fans back in the stadiums.