The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the schedule for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at a special event in Mumbai, India. This edition of the tournament promises to be the biggest Cricket World Cup ever, featuring ten teams playing across ten venues from 5 October to 19 November. The opening match will take place at the renowned Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where England and New Zealand, the finalists of the 2019 World Cup, will face off in a thrilling encounter.
The tournament will showcase the rich diversity of India as matches will be held in various cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will join Hyderabad in hosting practice games. The final match will also be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, marking a grand finale for the prestigious event.
Fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the clash between England and New Zealand, set to be the tournament opener. It will be a chance for England, the reigning champions, to prove their mettle against the team that narrowly defeated them in the previous World Cup final. On 8 October, hosts India will take on five-time champions Australia in what promises to be another thrilling encounter, adding to the excitement of the tournament.
Ahmedabad, the host city for the opener, will witness several high-profile matches. The highly anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is scheduled for 15 October, attracting immense attention from cricket enthusiasts across the globe. Additionally, on 4 November, traditional rivals Australia and England will face each other in a battle that is expected to captivate fans with intense on-field action.
The participating teams in the World Cup comprise the top eight teams from the Cricket World Cup Super League, with the remaining two spots to be claimed by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe. A total of 45 league matches will be played in the round-robin format, with all teams competing against each other.
The day matches will commence at 10:30 Indian Standard Time (IST), while the remaining matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 14:00 IST. The top four teams from the league stage will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. To account for any weather disruptions, reserve days have been allocated for the semi-finals and the final.
Geoff Allardice, the Chief Executive of the ICC, expressed his delight at the release of the schedule, emphasizing the immense anticipation surrounding the Men’s Cricket World Cup. He mentioned that the tournament aims to be the greatest in its history, engaging hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. Allardice also highlighted the electric atmosphere expected in India, especially during the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket stadium globally.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 promises to be a captivating event, showcasing top-notch cricket talent from around the world. With its grand opening, thrilling matches, and the final spectacle at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, cricket fans can eagerly anticipate a tournament that will be etched.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule by Venues
Ahmedabad
5 October – England vs New Zealand
15 October – India vs Pakistan
4 November – England vs Australia
10 November – South Africa vs Afghanistan
19 November – Final
Hyderabad
6 October – Pakistan vs Qualifier 1
9 October – New Zealand vs Qualifier 1
12 October – Pakistan vs Qualifier 2
Dharamsala
7 October – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan (Day Game)
10 October – England vs Bangladesh
16 October – South Africa vs Qualifier 1
22 October – India vs New Zealand
29 October – Australia vs New Zealand (Day Game)
Delhi
7 October – South Africa vs Qualifier 2
11 October – India vs Afghanistan
15 October – England vs Afghanistan
25 October – Australia vs Qualifier 1
6 November – Bangladesh vs Qualifier 2
Chennai
8 October – India vs Australia
14 October – New Zealand vs Bangladesh (Day Game)
18 October – New Zealand vs Afghanistan
23 October – Pakistan vs Afghanistan
27 October – Pakistan vs South Africa
Lucknow
13 October – Australia vs South Africa
17 October – Australia vs Qualifier 2
21 October – Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 2 (Day Game)
29 October – India vs England
3 November – Qualifier 1 vs Afghanistan
Pune
19 October – India vs Bangladesh
30 October – Afghanistan vs Qualifier 2
1 November – New Zealand vs South Africa
8 November – England vs Qualifier 1
12 November – Australia vs Bangladesh (Day Game)
Bengaluru
20 October – Australia vs Pakistan
26 October – England vs Qualifier 2
4 November – New Zealand vs Pakistan (Day Game)
9 November – New Zealand vs Qualifier 2
11 November – India vs Qualifier 1
Mumbai
21 October – England vs South Africa
24 October – South Africa vs Bangladesh
2 November – India vs Qualifier 2
7 November – Australia vs Afghanistan
15 November – Semifinal 1
Kolkata
28 October – Qualifier 1 vs Bangladesh
31 October – Pakistan vs Bangladesh
5 November – India vs South Africa
12 November – England vs Pakistan
16 November – Semifinal 2
Note:
If the West Indies qualify, they will be Q1 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers
If Sri Lanka qualify, they will be Q2 irrespective of where they finish in the Qualifiers
If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals, they will play in Kolkata
If India qualify for the semifinals, they will play in Mumbai unless playing against Pakistan, in which case they will play in Kolkata.
Read more: World Test Championship: India stumbles at the final hurdle – again
