In this blog, we'll delve into all the exciting details surrounding the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. From teams and players to venues and format, you'll get a thorough overview of this thrilling cricket tournament. Stay tuned for a cricket enthusiast's ultimate guide!
The ICC cricket men’s World Cup 2023 is the 13th edition of the Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men’s national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The tournament will be hosted by India, beginning on 5 October and concluding on 19 November 2023.
Ten national teams will participate; Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
England are the defending champions, having won the 2019 edition by defeating New Zealand in the final.
THE TOURNAMENT
The tournament will take place in ten different stadiums across India. The first and second semi-finals will be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and Eden Gardens in Kolkata respectively, while the final will take place at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals. The matches will start at either 9:30 AM or 2:30 PM local time (IST), depending on the venue and the day.
TICKETS
The tickets for the matches will be available online through the official website of the ICC and other authorized platforms. The prices will vary according to the category, venue and match.
The tournament is expected to be a thrilling and competitive event, as all the teams have some star players and exciting talents.
Some of the key matches to look forward to are:
England vs New Zealand: The opening match of the tournament will be a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, which was decided by a super over. Both teams have strong batting and bowling line-ups and will be eager to start their campaign on a high note.
England have won four out of their last five ODIs against New Zealand, including the final and a group stage match in the 2019 World Cup.
New Zealand have been consistent performers in the World Cup, reaching the final twice and the semifinal six times. They have a balanced team with experienced players like Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Trent Boult.
The match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 5 October at 2:30 PM IST.
India vs Pakistan: The arch-rivals will face each other in Ahmedabad on 15 October in what is always a high-voltage clash. India have never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup match, but Pakistan will hope to break that jinx and upset the hosts.
India have won all seven of their previous World Cup encounters against Pakistan, including a comprehensive 89-run victory in the 2019 edition.
Pakistan have a formidable bowling attack with Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir leading the pace department. They also have some explosive batsmen like Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan.
The match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 15 October at 2:30 PM IST.
Australia vs England: The ultimate rivalry in cricket history will resume in Delhi on 4 November. Both teams have won the World Cup five times each and will be keen to add another trophy to their cabinet. Australia have a slight edge over England in World Cup head-to-head record, with six wins out of nine matches