Cricket World Cup 2023: Ahmedabad To Host Opener, India vs Pakistan On Oct 15

Cricket World Cup 2023: Ahmedabad To Host Opener, India vs Pakistan On Oct 15 (Image Source: Google)

ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at a ‘Countdown to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023’ event here.

Ten teams feature in what will be the biggest Cricket World Cup ever, to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.

The other nine venues are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will join Hyderabad in hosting the practice games.

Defending champions England will take on New Zealand in a much-awaited clash between the 2019 World Cup finalists that opens the tournament in Ahmedabad, while hosts India will face-off against five-time winners Australia in Chennai on October 8.

Ahmedabad will also host matches between traditional rivals India and Pakistan (October 15) and Australia and England (November 4).

Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.

The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. There are six day matches which will start at 10:30 Indian Standard Time (IST) while all other matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 1400 IST.

The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, to be played in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said: “We are delighted to release the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 schedule which is always a huge occasion ahead of any global event.

“Hundreds of millions of fans around the world will be part of what we hope will be the greatest ever Men’s Cricket World Cup and we know in India the teams will enjoy a unique electric atmosphere concluding with the winners lifting the trophy in the biggest cricket stadium in the world in Ahmedabad.”

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said: “It’s a matter of great honour and pride to be hosting the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in different cities across India, showcasing the rich diversity of our country."

“The fervour and passion for cricket in India is unique. I am sure fans both here and abroad would be looking forward to the tournament’s return to India for the first time since 2011, when our team became the first to lift the trophy on home soil.

“I wish all the teams the very best in their preparations and look forward to hosting what promises to be another exciting tournament.”

If the West Indies qualify, they will be Q1 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers. If Sri Lanka qualify, they will be Q2 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers. If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata. If India qualify for the semifinals, they will play in Mumbai unless playing against Pakistan, in which case they will play in Kolkata.

The matches will be broadcast on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar.

Schedule by Venues:

Ahmedabad
October 5– England vs New Zealand
October 15 – India vs Pakistan
November 4– England vs Australia
November 10– South Africa vs Afghanistan
November 19– Final

Hyderabad
October 6– Pakistan vs Qualifier 1
October 9– New Zealand vs Qualifier 1
October 12– Pakistan vs Qualifier 2

Dharamsala
October 7– Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Day Game)
October 10– England vs Bangladesh
October 16– South Africa vs Qualifier 1
October 22– India vs New Zealand
October 29– Australia vs New Zealand (Day Game)

Delhi
October 7– South Africa vs Qualifier 2
October 11– India vs Afghanistan
October 15– England vs Afghanistan
October 25– Australia vs Qualifier 1
November 6– Bangladesh vs Qualifier 2

Chennai
October 8– India vs Australia
October 14– New Zealand vs Bangladesh (Day Game)
October 18– New Zealand vs Afghanistan
October 23– Pakistan vs Afghanistan
October 27– Pakistan vs South Africa

Lucknow
October 13– Australia vs South Africa
October 17– Australia vs Qualifier 2
October 21– Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 2 (Day Game)
October 29– India vs England
November 3– Qualifier 1 vs Afghanistan

Pune
October 19– India vs Bangladesh
October 30– Afghanistan vs Qualifier 2
November 1– New Zealand vs South Africa
November 8– England vs Qualifier 1
November 12– Australia vs Bangladesh (Day Game)

Bengaluru
October 20– Australia vs Pakistan
October 26– England vs Qualifier 2
November 4– New Zealand vs Pakistan (Day Game)
November 9– New Zealand vs Qualifier 2
November 11– India vs Qualifier 1

Mumbai
October 21– England vs South Africa
October 24– South Africa vs Bangladesh
November 2– India vs Qualifier 2
November 7– Australia vs Afghanistan
November 15– Semifinal 1

Kolkata
October 28– Qualifier 1 vs Bangladesh
October 31– Pakistan vs Bangladesh
November 5– India vs South Africa
November 12– England vs Pakistan
November 16– Semifinal 2