The announcement of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup schedule in India set the stage for an exhilarating event. The tournament, spanning 46 days, will start on October 5. It will be a thrilling clash between England and New Zealand at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This opening match is reminiscent of the nail-biting final in 2019.
The host nation will embark on its campaign on October 8 against Australia. The Aussies are a team with an impressive record of five World Cup victories. The match will be in Chennai, adding extra excitement to the tournament.
A total of ten teams will compete in the World Cup. The eight already secured their spots through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The remaining two spots will be determined after the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which is set to culminate on July 9.
Each team will face off against the other nine in a round-robin style, ensuring a fair environment. Every squad can showcase their skills and competitive spirit. The top four teams from the group stage will advance to the knockout stage and compete in the semi-finals.
The opening game and Indo-Australian clash are the key fixtures to watch. However, the tournament offers other crucial matches, too. One of the most awaited games is the India-Pakistan encounter in Ahmedabad on October 15. These two teams last met in the World Cup in 2019, when India won in a high-scoring game in Manchester.
Another exciting clash is Australia vs South Africa on October 13 in Lucknow. The previous edition saw a dramatic encounter between these teams, with the Proteas emerging triumphant. Australia will now be eager to reverse their fortunes.
Other notable fixtures include Pakistan’s face-off against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20 and England’s against South Africa in Mumbai on October 21. Finally, on October 22 in Dharamsala, India will seek redemption against New Zealand, aiming to overcome the heartbreak they faced at the same venue during the 2019 semi-final.
As the tournament progresses, the heat is up with key matches, such as India versus England in Lucknow on October 29. It offers India an opportunity to avenge their loss in the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup. The final group stage match will witness England taking on Pakistan in Kolkata on November 12.
The knockout stages promise to deliver even more thrilling encounters. The first semi-final is on November 15 in Mumbai. The second semi-final will be on the next day in Kolkata. Both semi-finals will have a weather day to account for any unforeseen circumstances. The final will culminate at the magnificent Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19. There is a reserve day allocated for November 20.
All matches throughout the knockout stages will be day-night affairs. They will begin at 14:00 local time, allowing fans to experience the thrill of floodlit cricket.
The tournament will take place across ten venues in India, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, alongside Hyderabad, will host the warm-up matches from September 29 to October 3.
As the excitement continues to build for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, cricket fans can look forward to enjoy incredible battles on the pitch.
