The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally unveiled the highly anticipated schedule for the upcoming Men’s World Cup. In a much-awaited event, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice and BCCI Secretary Jay Shh shared the complete schedule, along with the tournament’s venues. With just 100 days left until the World Cup, cricket enthusiasts around the globe can now mark their calendars and prepare for the thrilling action.
Dates and Venues
The 13th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will take place from October 5th to November 19th. The tournament will kick off with a highly anticipated clash between England and New Zealand at Ahmedabad, where England emerged victorious over New Zealand in the previous edition’s nail-biting super-over finale. The rivalry between these two teams has intensified over the past four years, setting the stage for another exciting encounter.
The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata, while the grand finale will take place at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This edition of the World Cup will be hosted across 10 venues: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamshala, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has been chosen as the venue for the opening match, marquee India-Pakistan clash, Australia-England encounters, and the final of the Men’s ODI World Cup. This announcement solidifies Ahmedabad’s position as a significant cricketing destination.
Format and Teams
A total of 10 teams will participate in the tournament, with 8 teams already securing their spots. The remaining two teams will qualify through the ongoing ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. The group stage will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing against every other team once, amounting to a total of 9 matches per team. The top 4 teams from the group stage will advance to the semi-finals. In this edition, a total of 48 matches will be played, promising an action-packed tournament. The six matches will be day games with a 10:30 AM IST start, the remaining day-night matches will commence at 2:00 PM IST.
India’s Campaign
India, one of the tournament favorites, will commence their campaign against Australia on October 8th in Chennai. They will then face Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11th. The much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan clash will take place on October 15th at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Indian fans can expect an exhilarating contest as the team competes across various venues, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamshala, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
Warm-Up Matches
Prior to the main tournament, warm-up matches will be held from September 29th to October 3rd, 2024. The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati, and Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram will host these warm-up fixtures. According to the tentative warm-up schedule prepared by the ICC, India is set to play two warm-up games against England and one of the qualifiers.
Semi-Finals and Final
Wankhede Stadium will witness the first semi-final (No. 1 vs. No. 4) on November 15th, while the second semi-final between the second and third-placed teams will take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata the following day. Both Mumbai and Kolkata have previously hosted World Cup semi-finals and finals, further adding to the significance of these matches. Similar to the previous edition, reserve days will be allocated for the semi-finals and the final, ensuring a fair and complete tournament.
Teams
New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South Africa secured direct entries to the World Cup based on their top-eight finishes in the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two slots will be claimed by the finalists of the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Marquee Matches
Just like in every World Cup, there are several rivalries that have rich history between teams and are passionately followed by fans. Whether it’s the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan, the classic encounters of England versus Australia, or England versus New Zealand. In the 2024 World Cup, there are around 7 to 8 matches are deemed as Marquee matches.
Here’s a list of some of the highly anticipated Marquee matches:
| DATE | MATCH | VENUE |
| 05.10.2023 | Eng V Nz | Ahmedabad |
| 08.10.2023 | Ind V Aus | Chennai |
| 13.10.2023 | Aus V Sa | Lucknow |
| 15.10.2023 | Ind V Pak | Ahmedabad |
| 23.10.2023 | Ban V Afg | Chennai |
| 28.10.2023 | Aus V Nz | Dharamshala |
| 01.11.2023 | Sa V Nz | Pune |
| 04.11.2023 | Eng V Aus | Ahmedabad |
Click here to know the full Schedule of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2024
