NEW DELHI: The Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 kicks off today with a highly anticipated match between defending champions England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
Running until Sunday, November 12th, the tournament boasts a daily dose of group-stage matches across ten venues. The top four teams will secure spots in the semifinals, set for Mumbai on November 14th and Kolkata on November 16th, with reserve days for these crucial encounters.
India, the host, engages in a showdown with five-time champions Australia in Chennai on October 8th. Notably, the intense clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is slated for October 15th in Ahmedabad.
The Narendra Modi Stadium will not only host the opening match but will also be the grand stage for the final. The other participating venues include Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram join Hyderabad as additional hosts for the games.
Sticking to the successful round-robin format, teams will compete in 45 league matches, promising an exciting battle for supremacy.
The match timings add to the spectacle, with six day matches starting at 10:30 am Indian Standard Time (IST), while all other fixtures, including knockouts, transform into day-night encounters, commencing at 2:00 pm IST.
As for the favorites, India leads the pack, but strong contenders like Australia, England, and South Africa promise a thrilling Cricket World Cup tournament. Brace yourselves for a riveting spectacle as the world’s best cricket teams vie for the coveted title of world champion!
