The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the opening match, the marquee India-Pakistan match, the Australia-England match, and the final of the upcoming men’s ODI World Cup, it was confirmed Tuesday (June 27) at an ICC event in Mumbai to mark the ‘100 days to the World Cup’ countdown. The format of the quadrennial tournament will remain the same as in 2019: ten teams will compete in a single-group phase, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals.
Defending winners On October 5, the prestigious tournament will begin with a rematch of the 2004 final between England and New Zealand. Ten venues will host events over the course of six and a half weeks: Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Dharamsala, and Lucknow. The competition will consist of 48 games contested over 46 days. Only six of these matches will be played during the day (10:30 IST start time), with the remainder of the day-night games beginning at 14:00 IST.
In addition to Hyderabad, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will host the warm-up matches from September 29 to October 3.
As reported by Cricbuzz yesterday, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the first semi-final (No. 1 vs. No. 4) on November 15, with the second semi-final between the second- and third-placed teams taking place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata the following day. Interestingly, both Mumbai and Kolkata have hosted World Cup semifinals and finals in previous iterations of this competition. In addition, a reserve day will be held for both the semifinals and the final, similar to the previous edition.
India’s World Cup 2023 League stage schedule
| Date | Opposition | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| October 8 | Australia | Chennai |
| October 11 | Afghanistan | New Delhi |
| October 15 | Pakistan | Ahmedabad |
| October 19 | Bangladesh | Pune |
| October 22 | New Zealand | Dharamsala |
| October 29 | England | Lucknow |
| November 2 | Qualifer 2 | Mumbai |
| November 5 | South Africa | Kolkata |
| November 11 | Qualifier 1 | Bengaluru |
On October 8, India will open the World Cup with a match against Australia, the five-time defending champions. The following day, on October 11, they will play Afghanistan in Delhi, followed by a marquee match against Pakistan on October 15. During the league phase, Rohit Sharma’s squad will play a single match at each location.
In addition to the hosts, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South Africa qualified directly for the World Cup by finishing in the top eight of the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be filled by the winners of the ongoing World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.
Here is the complete World Cup itinerary.
Major Dates:
October 5: England vs New Zealand, Ahmedabad (Tournament Opener)
October 8: India vs Australia, Chennai
October 15: India vs Pakistan, Ahmedabad
October 28: Australia vs New Zealand, Dharamsala
October 29: India vs England, Lucknow
November 1: New Zealand vs South Africa, Pune
November 4: England vs Australia, Ahmedabad
November 15: First Semifinal, Mumbai
November 16: Second Semifinal, Kolkata
November 19: Final, Ahmedabad
