After a number of last-minute changes, the 2023 ODI World Cup schedule has been made public by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
From October 5 to November 19 at 10 venues throughout India, the 10-team competition will feature 48 matches, including the championship match.
The tournament has been hosted by India on several occasions and has also been co-hosted by them.
It is one of the select few countries that has previously hosted both the men’s and women’s premier ODI and T20 tournaments.
India will serve as the tournament’s sole host country for the first time in 2023. Prior to this, the nation hosted the competition in 1987, 1996, and 2011.
Additionally, the peninsula has so far hosted the Women’s ODI World Cup three times, in 1978, 1997, and 2013.
India hosted the competition with the shortest format for both the men’s and women’s divisions in 2016.
The ICC has released the schedule for the 2023 ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup
India, one of the nations with an abundance of cricket venues available, has dispersed the World Cup games widely.
However, other venues have also made an impact. Tier A venues, such as the Eden Gardens and Wankhede Stadium, have hosted some high-profile matches in the past.
In light of this, let’s examine three such locations that will play host to their first World Cup game during the upcoming 2023 edition.
1) Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune
Between 1987 and 1996, both men’s and women’s World Cup games were held in Pune, but they were all held at the Nehru Stadium.
The last international match played at the location, which hosted Kenya’s memorable victory over the West Indies at the 1996 World Cup, was in 2005.
In terms of amenities and capacity, the MCA Stadium, which opened in 2012, marked a significant improvement over the Nehru Stadium.
The venue has recently hosted a number of international matches as well as Indian Premier League (IPL) games, but it has only had the opportunity to host a World Cup match—the upcoming 2023 edition.
Five different matches, including the one between Bangladesh and India on Thursday, October 19, will take place at the venue.
The stadium will also host the game between Australia and Bangladesh on Sunday, November 12. It will be the final match of the league stage.
2) Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad
In the past, from 1978 to 1996, World Cup games were held in Hyderabad, one of India’s most prestigious cities. However, the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium hosted those games.
Nearly two decades ago, the location last played host to an international match before attention shifted to the imposing Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the same city.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) of the Indian Premier League (IPL) call the 55,000-seat stadium their home field.
Despite having seen some thrilling games and standout individual performances, the venue has had to wait a while to host a World Cup match.
The initial leg of the tournament has been assigned to the location, ending the wait, but the city won’t get to see the Men in Blue play.
The location will host two matches between Pakistan and Q1 from the Qualifiers, as well as one match between New Zealand and Pakistan.
3) Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium
Since its founding in 2017, Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium has experienced a rapid ascent.
The venue hosted its first IPL game during the 2023 season and is set to host its first World Cup game in a few months.
Similar to the aforementioned cities, Lucknow has previously hosted a number of World Cup games, but they were all played at the K. Stadium for D Singh Babu.
In 2005, a women’s ODI match took place at the site as the last international event. At the upcoming tournament, the Ekana Stadium will host a number of high-profile matches.
It will include Team India’s heavyweight match against the reigning champions England on Sunday, October 29, and Australia’s match against South Africa on Friday, October 13.
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