“Going to be competitive as players …,”: India captain Rohit Sharma on 2023 WC

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 27 (ANI): India will be aiming for their third crown and the second at home when they begin their campaign in the ICC World Cup against Australia in Chennai on October 8.

The tournament opens on 5 October with a match between last time’s finalists England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which will also be the venue of India’s match against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 15. India skipper Rohit Sharma said he was hoping his team would live up to the expectations of the home crowds.

“It’s going to be a great experience playing in the World Cup at home. India won here 12 years ago, and I know fans nationwide can’t wait for us to take the field this time. This World Cup is going to be very competitive as the game has become faster and teams are playing more positively than ever before. All this augurs well for fans worldwide, promising them many thrilling moments,” Rohit Sharma told ICC.

“We look forward to preparing well and being at our best this October-November,” he added.

Ahmedabad will host the tournament opener as well as the final. The other venues are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram join Hyderabad in hosting the practice matches.

Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.

The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches.

The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals to be played in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.