Cricket World Cup: Mumbai and Chennai to hosts WC semis, final to be played in Ahmedabad

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final while the semi-finals will be played in Mumbai and Chennai respectively for the upcoming 2023 ODI world Cup.

On May 5, sources had reported that the Modi stadium has also emerged as the front-runner to host the high-profile India vs Pakistan match in the ICC 50-over World Cup scheduled for October-November, the first match between the two arch-rivals on Indian soil since 2016.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to host the high-voltage match at the Ahmedabad stadium in anticipation of a large number of fans who are expected to travel to India from abroad for the fixture, it is learnt.

With a seating capacity of 1 lakh, the Narendra Modi Stadium is the country’s largest.

The BCCI will be announcing the World Cup schedule at a grand launch.

If everything goes as per schedule, the 50-over World Cup will kick off from October 5, with Bengaluru, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, and Dharamshala being short-listed as venues, even for practice fixtures.

Of these venues, however, only seven will host India’s league matches. 

Ahmedabad could be the only venue where India play two matches, provided the team makes it to the final.

It is learnt that Pakistan could end up playing most of their matches in Chennai and Bengaluru due to security reasons.

Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is also being considered as a venue. Similarly, Bangladesh could also play most of their matches in Kolkata and Guwahati as it would reduce the travel distance for fans from the neighbouring country.