India to Host Cricket World Cup League Matches in Oct-Nov, Schedule Out After IPL Ends

The BCCI will host league matches in India for the upcoming Cricket World Cup in October-November. The announcement of the schedule will be after IPL’s end.

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: 2023-05-05 08:28:25

Since 2016, it will be the first time that the arch-rivals India and Pakistan will face each other in the ICC 50-over World Cup that is going to take place in October-November. For now, the hopes are set on the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, as it is the largest one in the nation. Because many fans are anticipated to travel to India from overseas for the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chosen to hold the high-stakes match at the Ahmedabad stadium.

The Narendra Modi Stadium is the biggest in the nation, with 1 lakh seats. If everything goes according to plan, the 50-over World Cup will begin on October 5 and the locations have been narrowed down to Delhi, Guwahati, Nagpur, Trivandrum, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Rajkot, Lucknow, Kolkata, Dharamshala, Indore, and Mumbai. But only seven of these locations will actually host league games in India. If India makes it to the final, Ahmedabad might be the only place where they play two games.

Due to security concerns, Pakistan may end up playing the majority of its games in Bengaluru and Chennai. Eden Gardens in Kolkata is another potential location. The majority of Bangladesh's games might possibly be held in Guwahati and Kolkata to make travel easier for supporters from the neighboring nations. The BCCI intends to get done with matches in the southern regions of the country before November's first week because October and November are the monsoon season.

In addition to Pakistan, BCCI also spoke with the management of the Indian squad to get their views on the matches. According to insiders, the Indian team requested that matches against New Zealand, England, South Africa, and Australia be played at stadiums that support spinners. They informed the board that the Indian cricket team like slow pitches, as has been the case for the past few years, they want to maximize the home advantage.

Throughout the last few years, the Indian team has excelled at home on slow tracks. Because of this, the team management had asked that whenever the schedule was being created, the Indian team play top teams on slow pitches. According to a BCCI source, they desired to benefit from playing at home. The BCCI has already received the state units' wish list, according to sources, but only the BCCI will decide where the matches will be played.

However, they noted that there's a good chance that India's game against Australia will take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai while matches against South Africa, England, and New Zealand will take place in other venues with slow pitches. Before the start of the 50-over World Cup, the BCCI has set aside more than Rs 500 crore to renovate stadiums all around the nation.

Following recent criticism regarding the state of stadiums, Jay Shah (BCCI secretary) said that the board will upgrade its infrastructure, prioritizing easy access, clean seats, and clean restrooms. This is to appeal to fans and to keep the venues prepared for the tournament.