INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Indian cricket team captain, Rohit Sharma, anticipates a fiercely contested ODI World Cup in India, as he believes that the game
has become faster and more dynamic in recent years.The influence of Twenty20 cricket, known for its explosive nature, has transcended into
all formats of the game, even the traditional five-day matches, with batsmen increasingly adopting an aggressive approach from the
outset.India, aiming for their third World Cup title and their second on home soil, will commence their campaign against five-time champions
Australia in Chennai on October 8.The Indian team is scheduled to play all nine of their league matches at different venues across the
country, including Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Lucknow, and Bengaluru.Rohit Sharma expressed his thoughts on the upcoming World Cup,
stating, "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
We look forward to preparing well and being at our best this October-November," he further added.Following their encounter with Australia,
the host nation will head to Delhi for a clash against Afghanistan on October 11.INDIA vs PAKISTANCricket fans worldwide can mark their
calendars as the highly-anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on October 15 at the Narendra
Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the ODI World Cup.Due to diplomatic tensions, bilateral cricket ties between the two Asian neighbours have
been suspended, making ICC and ACC events the only platforms where they face each other
The most recent encounter between the two cricketing giants occurred during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.Throughout the history
of the ODI World Cup, India and Pakistan have faced each other on seven occasions, competing in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015, and 2019
The only exception was in 2007 when both teams were eliminated from the tournament in the opening round itself.In addition to the
highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash, India's World Cup campaign will feature other marquee matches
On October 22, India will take on New Zealand in Dharamsala, followed by a fixture against England on October 29 in Lucknow.FORMATThe ODI
World Cup tournament will maintain the round-robin format, similar to the previous edition, featuring a total of 45 league matches where all
participating teams will compete against each other.Among the matches, six will be day matches, commencing at 10:30 am IST, while all other
fixtures, including the knockout matches, will be day-night encounters, starting at 2 pm IST.The top four teams from the league stage will
progress to the semifinals, which are scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16
Both the semifinals and the final will have reserve days to account for any potential disruptions due to weather or unforeseen
circumstances.In the event that India qualifies for the semifinals, their last-four stage match will be held in Mumbai, providing an added
advantage to the home team.INDIA SCHEDULE(With inputs from PTI)
