ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023: India captain Rohit Sharma believes the upcoming ICC World Cup will be "very competitive" as the game has "become faster" and teams embracing a more attacking approach like never before.
India will be aiming for their third title and the second at home when they begin their campaign in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup against Australia in Chennai on October 8.
The hosts will play all their nine league matches at different venues including the new Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
"It’s going to be a great experience playing in the World Cup at home. India won here 12 years ago, and I know fans nationwide can't wait for us to take the field this time. This World Cup is going to be very competitive as the game has become faster and teams are playing more positively than ever before," Rohit was quoted as saying in an ICC release.
The Indian skipper said he was hoping his team would live up to the expectations of the home crowd.
"All this augurs well for fans worldwide, promising them many thrilling moments. We look forward to preparing well and being at our best this October-November," he added.
The tournament opens on October 5 with a match between last edition's finalists England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also be the venue of India's much-anticipated clash with arch-rival Pakistan on October 15.
India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times previously – in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
India have won all of the previous seven encounters, a record they extended to the T20 World Cups as well until recently.
The only time both the teams didn't meet since that first match in 1992 was in 2007, which was a disastrous campaign for both teams as they crashed out of the tournament in the opening round.
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The last time these teams met in the 50 overs World Cup was in 2019 at Old Trafford with India posting a massive 336/5 on the back of a fantastic 113-ball 140 by Rohit Sharma.