Mumbai: The fixtures list for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India has been released along with the ten venues for the mega event that will span across 46 days later this year.
The World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 Final as England take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hosts India begin their campaign on October 8 against five-time World Cup winners Australia in Chennai. A total of 10 teams will participate at the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League.
The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9. Each team plays the other nine in a round robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals.
Apart from the cracking opening encounter and India’s face-off with 2019 semi-finalists Australia, the tournament is filled with a host of crucial clashes. Australia take on South Africa on October 13 in Lucknow hoping for a reversal of fortunes as a dramatic meeting in the last edition ended in the Proteas’ favour.
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for Sunday, October 15 in Ahmedabad. Their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup was a high-scoring affair with India achieving a huge victory in Manchester.