The 2023 ODI World Cup will start and end in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The fixture between England and New Zealand will kickstart the extravaganza on 5 October, says a report by Cricbuzz. The final will be played at the same venue on 19 November.

The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will be on 15 October (Sunday) in Ahmedabad while India will open their campaign against Australia in Chennai, says the Cricbuzz report.

The official fixtures and venues, already behind schedule, will most likely be revealed after the Indian Premier League (IPL). Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could modify the dates and venues between now and then.

The big talking point from the report is that Pakistan have agreed to tour India for the ICC competition despite the standoff between BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the Asia Cup. In the latest, Pakistan’s suggestion for a hybrid model was turned down by all parties concerned. As a result, the tournament could now move to Sri Lanka.

PCB have reportedly expressed concern over playing India in Ahmedabad. Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, visited the ICC offices in Dubai over the last couple of days. They have, however, agreed to Ahmedabad as the final venue should Pakistan reach that far.

As per the tentative schedule being reported, Pakistan will play their matches in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. Earlier an ICC source had told news agency PTI that Pakistan wanted bulk of their matches in Chennai and Kolkata.

Besides Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the other cities to be pencilled in for matches are Kolkata, Delhi, Indore, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Rajkot, Raipur and Mumbai. Mohali and Nagpur have missed out.

Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, which had hosted the 2011 ODI World Cup final, is likely to get the semi-final this time.

The 2023 ODI World Cup will see 10 teams vie for the trophy with 48 matches being played. India, England, Aiustralia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh have qualified for the tournament with South Africa being the latest to make the list.

The last two spots will be filled via a qualifying tournament which will feature West Indies, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Ireland, Nepal, Oman, Scotland, UAE and Zimbabwe.

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