The upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup is shaping up to be an exciting event, with Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad chosen as host cities for the pre-tournament warm-up matches involving all 10 competing teams. The World Cup will officially kick off in Ahmedabad on October 5, with an opening match between New Zealand and England.
In the lead-up to the main event, India is set to engage in two crucial warm-up games against England and Netherlands. The matches are scheduled to take place in Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram on September 30 and October 3, respectively. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled the comprehensive schedule.
The ICC’s announcement revealed that a series of official 50-over contests will be played by each of the 10 teams during the week leading to the World Cup’s commencement. Spread across three distinct cities—Guwahati, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram—these matches are designed to help teams acclimate to the conditions they will encounter during the tournament.
JUST IN: Warm-up fixtures of the ICC Men’s @cricketworldcup 2023 announced 👇#CWC23https://t.co/tSPnBMPMQq
— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2023
All the warm-up matches will have a consistent afternoon start time of 2:00pm IST. Notably, teams will have the liberty to field all members of their 15-player squads, further enhancing the competitive aspect of the pre-tournament fixtures.
An additional announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced BookMyShow as the official ticketing platform for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. With a total of 58 matches, including 10 warm-up encounters, set to be hosted across 12 prominent venues in India, fans can anticipate a seamless and comprehensive ticketing experience.
To ensure a streamlined ticketing process, the sales will be rolled out in several well-managed phases. Starting from August 25, fans can purchase tickets for warm-up and event games of all participating teams except India. From August 30 onwards, tickets for India’s warm-up matches will also be made available.
Mark your calendars for these engaging warm-up clashes:
- September 29: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (Guwahati), South Africa vs Afghanistan (Thiruvananthapuram), New Zealand vs Pakistan (Hyderabad).
- September 30: India vs England (Guwahati), Australia vs Netherlands (Thiruvananthapuram).
- October 2: England vs Bangladesh (Guwahati), New Zealand vs South Africa (Thiruvananthapuram).
- October 3: India vs Netherlands (Thiruvananthapuram), Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka (Guwahati), Pakistan vs Australia (Hyderabad).