India will face Pakistan in a blockbuster clash at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 15 as per the draft schedule which has reportedly been shared with the ICC and other participating nations by the BCCI. India though will kickstart their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s biggest cricket stadium by capacity, will also play host to the marqueee clash between Australia and England.
India’s Full Schedule as Per the Draft
- October 8: India vs Australia, Chennai
- October 11: India vs Afghanistan, Delhi
- October 15: India vs Pakistan, Ahmedabad
- October 19: India vs Bangladesh, Pune
- October 22: India vs New Zealand, Dharamsala
- October 29: India vs England, Lucknow
- November 2: India vs Qualifier, Mumbai
- November 5: India vs South Africa, Kolkata
- November 11: India vs Qualifier, Bengaluru
The tournament is scheduled to get underway from October 5 when the 2019 finalists England and New Zealand will kick-off the event in Ahmedabad.
While the venues for the semifinals haven’t been revealed in the draft schedule, the title clash will be held in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will be playing in as many as five venues across India including Ahmedabad (vs India), Bengaluru (vs Australia, vs New Zealand), Chennai (vs Afghanistan, vs South Africa), Kolkata (vs Bangladesh) and Hyderabad (vs two qualifiers).
The schedule for the quadrennial event was expected to be revealed during the ICC World Test Championship final but it has been delayed.
ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice recently said the full fixtures will be announced as soon as possible.
“I think even today (June 7) we might be receiving the schedule from the hosts, and we’ve just got a bit of consultation to do with all the participating teams and the broadcasters. Then we’ll be publishing that as soon as we possibly can," Allardice had said on BBC’s Test Match Special.
“And in some places, there’s a lot of consultation that needs to take place, both within the cricket system and with governments, etc. There’s a lot of responsibility on a host to deliver a good event, and they’ve got to go through the right checks and balances," he added.