India is set to begin its World Cup campaign in Chennai on October 8 against Australia.
| Photo Credit: File Photo R. V. MOORTHY
Twelve venues, including two only for warm-up matches, have been finalised for the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup, scheduled to begin in less than four months.
Despite BCCI secretary Jay Shah having stated last month that the official fixtures of the World Cup will be revealed during the World Test Championship, The Hindu understands that due to logistical issues yet to be sorted out by the BCCI, the ICC hasn’t been able to announce the schedule.
However, according to the draft schedule, the tournament will have 10 main venues, including three in the South. Of the main venues, only Hyderabad will host warm-up games too, with Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati scheduled to stage only warm-up games.
Except Hyderabad, India is likely to play a game at each of the other nine venues. Rohit Sharma’s men are set to begin their quest to regain the World Cup in Chennai on October 8 against Australia.
Chennai is also set to be awarded a semifinal, with the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai being the other semifinal venue. The designated venues for the last-four contests will also have a back-up option, considering the political opposition of letting Pakistan play in Mumbai.
Besides hosting the final, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to host the tournament-opener between the last edition’s finalist England and New Zealand and the marquee clash between India and Pakistan.
With time running out for fans across the globe to make travel arrangements, the fixtures are likely to be officially announced later this week.
Asia Cup update
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the Asia Cup jointly in September, with the BCCI agreeing to the proposal. While Pakistan will play three or four games on home soil, all the other games, including the final, will be played in Sri Lanka. The Asian Cricket Council is set to announce the fixtures mid-week.