The 2023 ODI World Cup will kick off on October 5 with a match featuring the defending champions England against last year’s runners up New Zealand. Both teams will face off at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, to kick-off the quadrennial championship. India is expected to kick off its campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
However, the high-octane match between India and Pakistan will be held ten days following the start of this tournament. India and Pakistan are set to face off on Sunday, 15 October. The location for the match is still being discussed, with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expressing reservations about playing in Ahmedabad.
The Cricbuzz report revealed the tentative schedule for the tournament, stating that the PCB chairman, Najam Sethi visited the ICC offices in Dubai in the past two days.
The schedule will be released following the 16th edition of Indian Premier League, with the final set for 28 May. The report claimed that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will release the schedule shortly, likely after the Indian Premier League.
Eight out of ten teams were selected
The ODI World Cup will feature ten teams. Eight of the ten teams have already qualified, while two more will be determined after a qualifier in Zimbabwe in June and July. The last two places will be contested by West Indies (Sri Lanka), Netherlands, Ireland Nepal, Oman Scotland, UAE, and the host Zimbabwe.
India, England and Australia have all qualified, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh. South Africa is the latest team to qualify directly.
