The schedule for World Cup 2023 was announced last week. The 13th edition of the tournament will kick-start on October 5, with a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, England, the defending champions, taking on New Zealand.
Hosts India will play their opening match against the five-time world champions Australia, on October 8, in Chennai. After the October 11 game against Afghanistan in Delhi, India will meet Pakistan in the epic clash on October 15, in Ahmedabad.
The 10-team tournament will see all the teams playing with other each in the league phase with the top 4 teams advancing to the semis. The final will take place on November 19 in Ahmedabad.
India have their task cut out right at the start of the tournament with tough matches against Australia and Pakistan.
Sourav Ganguly says “quality” not that good in India vs Pakistan matches
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that even though the India-Pakistan clash remains the most hyped-up one, the last few matches between these two teams haven’t really been close. India have never lost to Pakistan in an ODI World Cup, and have defeated them in the last three ODI World Cups, with Sourav Ganguly saying India have won “one-sided” games against their neighbors.
“There is a lot of hype in this match but the quality has not been that good for a long time because India kept on winning one-sided. Pakistan probably defeated India for the first time in the T20 World Cup in Dubai,” Ganguly told Star Sports.
Sourav Ganguly went on to assert that the quality if better in India-Australia matches than in India-Pakistan.
“India did not play well in that tournament (2021 T20 WC) but according to me, India vs Australia tends to be a better game in the World Cup because the quality is better,” said the former BCCI President.
India and Pakistan will meet in the Asia Cup in August-September in Sri Lanka.
