India will face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Nidahas Trophy triangular Twenty20 International tournament, starting on March 6, as per the schedule provided by Sri Lanka Cricket website. Apart from India and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will also be participating in the three-nation tournament. The tournament has been organised in order to mark the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence. The matches will be played under lights at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The tournament, Nidahas Trophy, will follow a round-robin format with all the three teams playing each other twice, and the top two progressing to the March 18 final, reports sports.ndtv.com.

The tri-series begins just after India conclude their South Africa tour.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Thilanga Sumathipala had said while announcing the tournament, ‘70 years is a long journey, and one that needs to be commemorated and celebrated. We are happy that our closest neighbours, who share more or less the same journey of independence are joining us in this celebration, which we believe will be a milestone and an augur of the great things to come in the annals of cricket.’

The tournament will be telecast in India by DSPORT, a sports channel by Discovery Communications.

Schedule:

March 6: Sri Lanka v India

March 8: Bangladesh v India

March 10: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh

March 12: India v Sri Lanka

March 14: India v Bangladesh

March 16: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka

March 18: Final