India is set to launch its campaign in the ODI World Cup 2023 against Australia in Chennai, come October 8.
The tournament, which is comprised of 10 teams, will officially commence on October 5 in Ahmedabad, with the defending champions, England, squaring off against New Zealand, who were the runners-up in 2019.
Mark your calendars for October 14, when India will be pitted against its longstanding rival, Pakistan, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Notably, this marks the third consecutive year where these adversaries will face each other in an ICC event in October – following meetings in the T20 World Cups of 2021 (UAE) and 2022 (Australia).
India, familiarly known as “The Men in Blue,” will take on each of their nine opponents at distinct venues across the country – specifically, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamsala, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Delhi.
The final group-stage match for India will be on November 12, competing against the Netherlands (the second qualifier from the ODI World Cup Qualifiers) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
It’s noteworthy that India is hosting the event for the fourth time, having been a venue in 1987, 1996, and 2011. Whilst in the past, India co-hosted the tournament, the 13th edition in 2023 will be a debut as the sole host of the men’s ODI World Cup.
Semi-final matches are scheduled to unfold in Mumbai (November 15) and Kolkata (November 16), with the ultimate final clash planned for November 19 in Ahmedabad.
In an interesting twist, if Pakistan proceeds to the semi-finals, they will compete at the Eden Gardens. On the other hand, if India ascends to the semi-finals, they will play in Mumbai, unless they face Pakistan. In that scenario, the teams will encounter each other in the second semi-final at the Eden Gardens.
A snapshot of India’s matches is as follows:
- October 8: India vs. Australia, Chennai, 2 pm
- October 11: India vs. Afghanistan, New Delhi, 2 pm
- October 14: India vs. Pakistan, Ahmedabad, 2 pm
- October 19: India vs. Bangladesh, Pune, 2 pm
- October 22: India vs. New Zealand, Dharamsala, 2 pm
- October 29: India vs. England, Lucknow, 2 pm
- November 2: India vs. Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2 pm
- November 5: India vs. South Africa, Kolkata, 2 pm
- November 12: India vs. Netherlands, Bengaluru, 2 pm
Note that all of India’s matches are day-night fixtures, initiating at 2 pm local time.
