BCCI and CSA announce schedule for India's all-format tour of South Africa 

Team India's all-format tour of South Africa following the culmination of the 2023 ODI World Cup will begin on December 10. The Men in Blue are scheduled to tour the Rainbow Nation for a total of three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.

The tour will commence with the T20I series, with Durban, Gqeberha and Johannesburg slated to host the matches on December 10, 12 and 14 respectively. The three-match ODI series will take place from December 17 to December 21, where Johannesburg, Gqeberha and Paarl will host the games.

The two-match Test series, which will be Team India's second assignment in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is primed to begin on Boxing Day. The first Test will be played at Centurion, while the second Test, from January 3, 2024, has been assigned to Cape Town.

Following the release of the schedule, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media release on BCCI.com:

“The Freedom Series is significant not just because it features two excellent Test teams, but also because it honors Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, two great leaders who shaped our respective nations and the world around them."

He continued:

"The Boxing Day Test and the New Year Test are amongst the most important fixtures on the international cricket calendar and the schedule has been planned particularly around these marquee dates. India has always received strong support in South Africa, and I am confident that fans will be treated to some enthralling contests with no shortage of intensity."

Team India last toured South Africa in 2021-22 during the Omicron variant wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams played out a three-match Test series, which went in favor of the Proteas while the white-ball leg was suspended.

South Africa have since then toured India twice for white-ball assignments. The Proteas played a five-match T20I series post the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) and they visited the subcontinent once again for three ODIs and three T20Is ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Team India tour of South Africa 2023-24 full schedule

India vs South Africa 1st T20I - 10 December - Durban

India vs South Africa 2nd T20I - 12 December - Gqeberha

India vs South Africa 3rd T20I - 14 December - Johannesburg

India vs South Africa 1st ODI - 17 December - Johannesburg

India vs South Africa 2nd ODI - 19 December - Gqeberha

India vs South Africa 3rd ODI - 21 December - Paarl

India vs South Africa 1st Test - 26 to 30 December - Centurion

India vs South Africa 2nd Test - 3 to 7 January - Cape Town

Will Team India finally conquer the final frontier this time around? Let us know what you think in the comments!