The 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup made history as the most-attended cricket tournament, with over 1.25 million spectators present at the grounds. This surpassed the previous record set during the 2015 edition in Australia and New Zealand, which had 1.01 million spectators.
All of Team India’s matches attracted full crowds at nine venues, and there was a gradual increase in attendance for non-India games after initial criticism of empty stands at the beginning of the tournament.
Nearly 100,000 spectators attended the thrilling final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The precise count of 1,250,307 attendees for the 2023 World Cup across India’s 10 venues encompasses the highly attended India-Pakistan clash in Ahmedabad on October 14.
To put it in perspective, the previous ODI World Cup in England (2019) saw 752,000 fans witnessing the matches from the stands. Regarding the resounding success of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Chris Tetley, the Head of Events at the ICC, expressed:
“The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has been a great success, showcasing the best aspects of the game and capturing the hearts of hundreds of millions of fans across the world.”
“The staggering attendance demonstrates the enduring appeal of cricket and the excitement the ODI format continues to offer. It has been an event that has not only entertained but also united cricket fans globally in a celebration of the sport.”
The 2023 World Cup set new benchmarks in broadcast and digital viewership. The official broadcaster’s live streaming platform, Star Sports, reached a peak of 43 million viewers during the India-New Zealand league stage match, with even higher figures reported for the semi-finals and the India-Australia final.
Australia secured their sixth ODI World Cup title by defeating Team India
Australia won their sixth ODI World Cup title by defeating Team India in the final in Ahmedabad on November 19. After choosing to bat first, Australia limited India to a modest 240 through exceptional bowling and fielding.
In reply, they overcame a challenging start at 47/3 to secure a convincing six-wicket victory with seven overs remaining.
Travis Head played a spectacular innings, scoring 137 off 120 balls, and Marnus Labuschagne contributed an unbeaten 58 off 110 deliveries as Australia secured their fifth ODI World Cup title, winning five out of the last seven editions since 1999.
With Pat Cummins leading brilliantly, Australia achieved a remarkable feat by clinching both the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 50-over World Cup in the same year.
India faced another setback in their quest for ICC titles, unable to break their streak of not winning since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Despite a 10-game winning streak, Australia halted India’s dream run in the World Cup final. The next ODI World Cup is scheduled for 2027 in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
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