ICC World Cup 2023: Ahmedabad to host India-Pakistan encounter
The ICC has announced the schedule for the upcoming 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup which will be hosted by India. The showpiece event will start on October 5 as England and New Zealand will feature in the curtain raiser. India will begin their tournament against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Notably, Ahmedabad will host the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash.
A look at India's World Cup fixtures
India will start their campaign on October 8 against Australia in Chennai. They will host Afghanistan on October 11 in New Delhi. The Pakistan clash will happen on October 15 in Ahmedabad. India's next fixtures are against Bangladesh (October 19, Pune), New Zealand (October 22, Dharamshala), England (October 29, Lucknow), Qualifier 2 (November 2, Mumbai), SA (November 5, Kolkata), Qualifier 1 (November 11, Bengaluru).
A look at India's matches
10 teams to take part
The 2023 ODI WC will be a 10-team affair. Teams finishing in the top eight (ICC WC Super League), including hosts India, earned direct qualification for the competition. The remaining five teams reached the Qualifier through Qualifier Play-off events and the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands are the five teams competing for the spots.
10 venues to host the matches
As many as 10 venues - Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Dharamsala, and Lucknow will host the 2023 World Cup which comprises 48 games played over 46 days. Mumbai and Kolkata will host the two semi-finals, respectively, while the final be held in Ahmedabad. Besides, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad will host the warm-up matches from September 29 to October 3.
What about the format?
The 2023 ODI World Cup will follow the format used in 2019. All 10 teams will play each other in a single group, with the top-four teams advancing to the semi-finals.
Details on knockout games
The first semi-final will be held on November 15 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, while Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the second the following day. The iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will play host to the grand finale on November 19. Notably, both semi-finals and the final have a reserve day each.
England enter as defending champions
England will begin their title defense against New Zealand in the tournament opener on October 5. The two teams clashed in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord's which saw a historic Super Over. England managed to level NZ's score of 241 before the two teams clashed in the one-over eliminator. Even the Super Over got tied, but England won through boundary count.
