ICC World Cup 2023: India to play Pakistan in Ahmedabad in October
- Published
The match between India and Pakistan will be the most anticipated game of the tournament
India will host Pakistan in the upcoming 2023 ICC World Cup on 15 October in the city of Ahmedabad.
A total of 48 matches will be played across 12 venues and the final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 19 November.
The confirmation comes after months of speculation on whether Pakistan would travel to India for the tournament.
The countries have long shared a hostile relationship which has often affected sporting relations as well.
Pakistan had earlier threatened to boycott the World Cup after India said they would not visit the country for the Asia Cup and demanded the tournament to be moved to a neutral location.
Pakistan are due to host their first Asia Cup since 2008 - just weeks before India hosts the 50-over World Cup in October and November. Pakistan are also set to host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
The Asia Cup will now be held in a hybrid model with Pakistan hosting some matches and the remaining, including India's games, to be played in Sri Lanka.
According to the official schedule of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), Pakistan is set to play their World Cup league matches across five Indian cities.
India, meanwhile, will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in the southern city of Chennai on 8 October.
It's going to be a special one for the team as they seek to script a repeat of 2011, when India defeated Sri Lanka in the final held in Mumbai.
A total of 10 teams will participate in the tournament. Of these, eight teams have already been decided, while the remaining two will be decided after the qualifier matches.
The teams will be divided into two groups of five and all teams would have to play each other in this phase.
The winners of both groups will qualify for the semi-finals, where the first-placed team of the group stage will compete against the fourth-placed team, while the second and third-ranked teams will play each other. The winners would then move to the finals.
In 2011, India became the first team to win the World Cup on their home soil
The Indian team will face Pakistan in the group stage in Ahmedabad on 15 October.
A cricket match between the two neighbouring countries continues to be one of sport's biggest draws.
The nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought two wars and a limited conflict over Kashmir, rarely play outside of major tournaments due to political tensions. And when they do, patriotic loyalties are at their peak as millions on both sides watch what is, perhaps, the most politically charged derby.
Pakistan last visited India for the T20 World Cup in 2016, while India have not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.
The country first toured India in 1952 when the two sides played their first Test match.
But as the ties worsened - with the wars in 1965 and 1971 - the two sides did not play each other for 17 years until a diplomatic thaw allowed them to resume cricketing ties in 1978 with India visiting Pakistan.
The two sides played each other for the next two decades before politics again disrupted ties. A major diplomatic initiative led the Indian team travelling to Pakistan in 2003-2004.
The next four years saw yearly tours until the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks stopped bilateral tours once again.
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