Cricket World Cup 2023: Five key matches to look out for

The 2023 Cricket World Cup will be played in India from October 5. The final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19.

Hyderabad: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the schedule of the much-anticipated 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup that will be hosted by India. The World Cup will begin on October 5 with a clash between defending champions England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Narendra Modi Stadium will also host the final on November 19. The iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai and the Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the last four matches of the prestigious tournament.

Here are the five marquee clashes that will be played in the tournament:

India versus Pakistan - Ahmebad - October 15

The much-anticipated India versus Pakistan clash will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The stadium has a seating capacity of 1.32 lakh and a full house is expected on October 15, when the 'Men in Blue' will take on Babar Azam and his boys. India has never lost to Pakistan in ODI Cricket World Cup and won all seven previous matches. At the last edition of the ODI Cricket World Cup, India thrashed Pakistan by 89 runs (DLS method) at Old Trafford riding on current skipper Rohit Sharma's stroke-filled 140. Rohit Sharma will be aiming that his team would continue their winning streak, while rival skipper and current world number one ODI batter Babar Azam would be keen to give Pakistan the bragging rights.

England v New Zealand - Ahmedabad - October 5

Current champions England and New Zealand, who were engaged in one of the most thrilling cricket matches - the 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lords in England, will renew rivalries in the tournament opener. A win in the tournament opener will help the teams as they progress into the World Cup. The Black Caps will be hoping that their inspirational skipper Kane Williamson, who recently sustained a knee injury, would be fit for the World Cup. They would be aiming to seek revenge against England, whom they had gone down to in the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup summit clash. In white-ball cricket, England has been a force to reckon with in recent times. Having won the 2019 ODI Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, England would be keen to add another ICC Trophy to their Cabinet.

India v Australia - Chennai - October 8

Hosts India would be aiming to make a winning start to their 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign, when they face Australia, on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. The Rohit Sharma-led side will have their work cut out against five-time champions Australia. The two sides know each other quite well and it wouldn't shock to see plenty of runs scored in this marquee clash. India had recently lost to Australia in the World Test Championship final played at the Oval in England, and so the 'Men in Blue' would be more than eager to seek revenge for that defeat. Interestingly, Australia won their first World Cup in 1987, which was played in India. They would also be eager to add another ICC Trophy to their Cabinet.

Australia v South Africa - Lucknow - October 13

South Africa won only three matches at the ODI Cricket World Cup 2019. One of those victories came in the final group match of the event when they defeated Australia in Manchester on the back of a superb century from opener Faf du Plessis. If the Proteas can defeat Sri Lanka in their tournament opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, then this clash in Lucknow becomes a big match as they will look to reach the knockout stages of the event for the first time since 2015. It won't be an easy task for Australia to face the likes of South African pacers including Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi.

Bangladesh v Afghanistan - Dharamshala - October 7

Bangladesh could be clear favorites when they begin their 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup campaign against Afghanistan at Dharamshala. However, Afghanistan's bowling, which is their strength, would certainly make it difficult for Bangladesh. Led by star spinner Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan bowling attack, comprising tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman and in-form seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, can pose challenging questions to Bangladesh batters. Bangladesh has a bit more experience in big tournaments and will call on the likes of top-order batter Litton Das and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to keep them afloat.