The ICC World Cup 2023 will kick-start on October 5 with the repeat of the 2019 World Cup final – defending champions England taking on runners-up New Zealand in the iconic Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.
The home team India’s first match will be a blockbuster game against the five-time ODI world champs, Australia. The India-Australia fixture will be held in Chennai.
October 15, Sunday, will see the arch-rivals India and Pakistan compete in the marquee, much-hyped match of the WC 2023. The venue for the India-Pakistan match is not finalized yet as PCB has raised objections to playing India in Ahmedabad.
The final of World Cup 2023 will be hosted in Ahmedabad on November 19
After claims of boycotting the WC 2023 or demanding a hybrid model to play their matches outside India, the PCB has finally agreed to send the Pakistan team to India for the tournament. PCB has agreed to play in Ahmedabad only if Pakistan reaches the final.
Pakistan will play its games in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
The World Cup 2023 is a 10-team tournament with each team playing 9 league matches. The top 4 will qualify for the semis.
Overall, 48 games will be played in the World Cup 2023 across 10 venues: Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Dharmsala, Mumbai, Mohali, Rajkot, Guwahati, Raipur, and Hyderabad.
A formal announcement from the BCCI about the schedule of the World Cup 2023 is likely to come after the conclusion of the IPL 2023.
The 8 teams that have qualified for World Cup 2023 are India, England, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan.
The remaining two teams will be decided in a qualifying tournament to be played in June in Zimbabwe between West Indies, Sri Lanka, Nepal, UAE, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, Oman, and Scotland.
