There were reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) asking them not to schedule any of their matches, apart from the final, in Ahmedabad. However, according to the draft schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the ICC, the blockbuster India vs Pakistan is scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15 this year.


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According to a report in the ESPNCricinfo website, the 2019 finalists, England and New Zealand – who played out a thrilling tie in the last World Cup final – will open the 2023 edition on October 5 while Rohit Sharma’s Team India will begin their campaign against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.


“The BCCI shared the draft schedule with the ICC, which then sent it to the participating countries for feedback before a final schedule is put out early next week. The draft schedule does not mention the venues for the semi-finals, which are likely to be played on November 15 and 16. The final will be on November 19 in Ahmedabad, which is also scheduled to host the opening game,” the ESPNCricinfo report stated.


The following is Team India’s itinerary in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023…


October 8: India vs Australia in Chennai


October 11: India vs Afghanistan in Delhi


October 15: India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad


October 19: India vs Bangladesh in Pune


October 22: India vs New Zealand in Dharamsala


October 29: India vs England in Lucknow


November 2: India vs Qualifier in Mumbai


November 5: India vs South Africa in Kolkata


November 11: India vs Qualifier in Bengaluru


Apart from their clash against hosts India in Ahmedabad, the Pakistan cricket team are scheduled in play in 5 venues across India in the league stages. Pakistan will face two teams progressing from the Qualifier on October 6 and 12 in Hyderabad, and then Australia in Bengaluru (October 20), Afghanistan (October 23) and South Africa (October 27) in Chennai, Bangladesh in Kolkata (October 31), New Zealand in Bengaluru (November 5, day match) and England in Kolkata (November 12).


The other big matches are repeat of 2015 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 29, Australia vs England in Ahmedabad on November 4 and New Zealand vs South Africa in Pune on November 1.



There has been an unprecedented delay before the fixtures announcement, with the World Cup starting in about four months’ time. In the past two editions of the tournament – 2015 and 2019 – the schedule was finalised more than a year in advance.


The delay in the schedule has also not allowed the ICC to put out ticketing details even as fans from overseas have grown desperate to make travel arrangements.


Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma revealed after the World Test Championship (WTC) final loss to Australia on Sunday, that Team India will allow cricketers to play with much more freedom in the ODI World Cup.


“When the World Cup will be held in October, we will try to play in a different way, we will try to give people freedom and not think that we have to win this or that match as things are not happening much now,” Rohit Sharma said.