The cricketing world is abuzz with excitement as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is set to kick off on October 5th. The tournament opener in Ahmedabad will see defending champions England taking on the runners-up of the last edition, New Zealand. As the cricketing extravaganza unfolds, fans can also look forward to the much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan clash, scheduled for October 14th at the magnificent Narendra Modi Stadium. This colossal stadium, which happens to be the largest cricket stadium in the world, will also host the final showdown on November 19th. Additionally, the two semi-finals will be held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on November 15th and 16th, respectively.
For the fourth time in history, ODI cricket’s flagship tournament will make its way to India. The previous time the World Cup graced Indian shores was in 2011, a tournament etched in the memory of cricket fans as India clinched the trophy on home soil. As the tournament prepares for its return to India, cricket enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating a spectacle that promises to be even grander.
The 48 matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will be dispersed across ten venues spanning the nation. India will host matches in Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Dharamsala, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and a second fixture in Ahmedabad. An interesting note is that the renowned Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, with a capacity of 55,000 spectators and a history of hosting five Tests, seven ODIs, and three T20Is, is the only historic international venue where India does not have a league match scheduled. Furthermore, both semi-finals will have a designated reserve day, ensuring that inclement weather doesn’t disrupt the thrilling matches.
In a format where every team plays the other nine in a round-robin style, the top four will secure their place in the semi-finals. Eight of the ten participating teams had already secured their spot in the tournament, while the remaining two teams earned their places through the World Cup Qualifiers. Prior to the start of the tournament, warm-up matches are scheduled from September 29th to October 3rd in Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad, giving teams a chance to fine-tune their strategies and test their mettle.
For India, the journey begins on October 8th, as Rohit Sharma’s squad faces a formidable Australian team at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Apart from Australia and Pakistan, India faces stiff competition from New Zealand in Dharamsala and England in Lucknow, the only two teams that defeated them in the 2019 World Cup. The clash against England holds particular significance as India lost their only league match against them four years ago at Edgbaston, followed by a heartbreaking exit in the semi-finals at Manchester, where New Zealand triumphed in a rain-affected match that stretched over 24 hours.
The revised schedule comes after an initial postponement of the announcement. The original schedule was supposed to be declared during the World Test Championship final but was delayed. The rescheduling was reportedly prompted by Pakistan’s request to change the dates of two of their matches, against Australia and Afghanistan. The BCCI decided not to accommodate these requests, resulting in the final schedule.
In contrast, the schedule for the 2019 World Cup in England was released well in advance, over a year before the tournament began. This ensured that cricket fans had ample time to anticipate and prepare for the event. However, the secrecy surrounding the schedule for the 2023 World Cup led to an unusual lack of buzz around the tournament. The ICC’s decision to keep the schedule under wraps, coupled with the BCCI’s reluctance to divulge details, created an air of suspense that has gradually dissipated.
As cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the commencement of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the schedule promises a thrilling tournament filled with high-intensity matches and unforgettable moments. With India as the host nation, the excitement is palpable, and cricket fans worldwide are counting down the days until they can revel in the grandeur of this iconic tournament.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule;
| Match | Date | Time | Venue |
| England vs. New Zealand | Thu, Oct 5, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| Pakistan vs. Netherlands | Fri, Oct 6, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Hyderabad |
| Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan | Sat, Oct 7, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Dharamsala |
| South Africa vs. Sri Lanka | Sat, Oct 7, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Delhi |
| India vs. Australia | Sun, Oct 8, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Chennai |
| New Zealand vs. Netherlands | Mon, Oct 9, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Hyderabad |
| England vs. Bangladesh | Tue, Oct 10, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Dharamsala |
| Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka | Tue, Oct 10, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Hyderabad |
| India vs. Afghanistan | Wed, Oct 11, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Delhi |
| Australia vs. South Africa | Thur, Oct 12, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Lucknow |
| New Zealand vs. Bangladesh | Fri, Oct 13, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Chennai |
| India vs. Pakistan | Sat, Oct 14, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| England vs. Afghanistan | Sun, Oct 15, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Delhi |
| Australia vs. Sri Lanka | Mon, Oct 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Lucknow |
| South Africa vs. Netherlands | Tue, Oct 17, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Dharamsala |
| New Zealand vs. Afghanistan | Wed, Oct 18, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Chennai |
| India vs. Bangladesh | Thur, Oct 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Pune |
| Australia vs. Pakistan | Fri, Oct 20, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Bengaluru |
| Netherlands vs. Sri Lanka | Sat, Oct 21, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Lucknow |
| England vs. South Africa | Sat, Oct 21, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Mumbai |
| India vs. New Zealand | Sun, Oct 22, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Dharamsala |
| Pakistan vs. Afghanistan | Mon, Oct 23, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Chennai |
| South Africa vs. Bangladesh | Tue, Oct 24, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Mumbai |
| Australia vs. Netherlands | Wed, Oct 25, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Delhi |
| England vs. Sri Lanka | Thur, Oct 26, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Bengaluru |
| Pakistan vs. South Africa | Fri, Oct 27, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Chennai |
| Australia vs. New Zealand | Sat, Oct 28, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Dharamsala |
| Netherlands vs. Bangladesh | Sat, Oct 28, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Kolkata |
| India vs. England | Sun, Oct 29, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Lucknow |
| Afghanistan vs. Sri Lanka | Mon, Oct 30, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Pune |
| Pakistan vs. Bangladesh | Tue, Oct 31, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Kolkata |
| New Zealand vs. South Africa | Wed, Nov 1, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Pune |
| India vs. Sri Lanka | Thur, Nov 2, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Mumbai |
| Netherlands vs. Afghanistan | Fri, Nov 3, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Lucknow |
| New Zealand vs. Pakistan | Sat, Nov 4, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Bengaluru |
| England vs. Australia | Sat, Nov 4, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| India vs. South Africa | Sun, Nov 5, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Kolkata |
| Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka | Mon, Nov 6, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Delhi |
| Australia vs. Afghanistan | Tue, Nov 7, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Mumbai |
| England vs. Netherlands | Wed, Nov 8, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Pune |
| New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka | Thur, Nov 9, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Bengaluru |
| South Africa vs. Afghanistan | Fri, Nov 10, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Ahmedabad |
| Australia vs. Bangladesh | Sat, Nov 11, 2023 | 10:30 AM | Pune |
| England vs. Pakistan | Sat, Nov 11, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Kolkata |
| India vs. Netherlands | Sun, Nov 12, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Bengaluru |
| Semi-final 1 (T.B.C. vs T.B.C.) | Wed, Nov 15, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Mumbai |
| Semi-final 2 (T.B.C. vs T.B.C.) | Thur, Nov 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Kolkata |
| Final (T.B.C. vs T.B.C.) | Sun, Nov 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM | Ahmedabad |