Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan to play ODI after 9 years in India; to kick off against Netherlands

The Pakistan team will play their first ODI in India after nine years to kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign against Netherlands at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The match will start at 2 pm.

Hyderabad: The Pakistan cricket team is all set to play their first ODI international match in India after a gap of nine years. They will face the Netherlands in their World Cup 2023 campaign opener at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 06.

Pakistan has come to India for the first time after the 2016 T20 World Cup. Pakistan last played an ODI match in India way back in 2012, when India hosted a bilateral three-match ODI series. Notably, among the 15 only two Pakistani players, who are part of the current squad for the World Cup have toured India before.

Barring all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha, who have visited India for cricket, the majority of the team members are experiencing this unique opportunity for the first time. In particular, Babar missed out on participating in the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 due to an injury.

"Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure. We have done our research and we have heard the conditions are similar to how they play out in other Asian countries," said Babar in the pre-departure press conference.

"I am excited to play in Ahmedabad as it will be jam-packed. I will try my best to perform up to my potential. I am not worried about my individual accolades, I want to make sure whatever I do helps the result for the team,” he said.

Pakistan will start their campaign against Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 6. The match will start at 2 PM. The toss is scheduled for 1.30 PM.