The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled the schedule for the upcoming ODI World Cup, much to the delight of cricket enthusiasts worldwide. The highly anticipated final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19. However, the absence of certain venues from the list of hosts has left local fans feeling disappointed.
Mohali not hosting a single game
Surprisingly, Mohali, one of the most renowned stadiums in the country, will not be hosting any matches this time around. In the past, it had the honor of hosting the World Cup semi-finals in 1996 and 2011, both times when India served as the host nation. Notably, the stadium was the stage for the high-profile semi-final clash between India and Pakistan in 2011, which was attended by then-prime minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani. Additionally, the 2016 India-Australia T20 World Cup match also took place at this venue.
No India game for Hyderabad
Similarly, Hyderabad, one of the ten cities selected as hosts for World Cup matches, will not be hosting any matches involving the Indian cricket team this time. Although the stadium will hold three matches, they are of relatively low significance. Pakistan will compete in the first two matches against qualifiers 1 and 2, and New Zealand will face off against qualifier 1 at this particular venue.
No high profile game for Banagalore
It is worth noting that Bengaluru will also not witness any important matches, with the only notable fixture being India versus Qualifier 1. Furthermore, in a reminiscent fashion of the 1996 World Cup, the first match of the tournament will be contested between England and New Zealand. Generally, host nations have the privilege of playing the opening match of the World Cup in any sport held in Ahmedabad.
Tharoor questions no game in Kerala
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed his disappointment with the venues as Thiruvananthapuram's SportsHub was missing from the list. Shashi Tharoor observed that Ahmedabad was becoming the cricket capital of the country.
“Disappointed to see that Thiruvananthapuram's #SportsHub, hailed by many as the best cricket stadium in India, is missing from the #WorldCup2023 fixture list. Ahmedabad is becoming the new cricket capital of the country, but could a match or two not have been allotted to Kerala?," Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted.
As per the recently announced World Cup schedule on June 27, the tournament is set to kick off on October 5, spanning 46 days across the country. The grand finale will also take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19. Cricket fans are eagerly anticipating the much-awaited India versus Pakistan encounter, which is scheduled to take place on October 15 in Ahmedabad. A total of ten teams will participate in this prestigious event.
