The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the calendar for the event on Tuesday, with the semifinals taking place in Mumbai and Kolkata, with 100 days until the start of play.
The choice of venues is a reflection of the evolving power dynamics within the Indian cricket board. When India hosted the 50-over World Cup in 2011, with NCP Sharad Pawar in command of Indian cricket, the final was played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. But after Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, was chosen in 2019, Ahmedabad has replaced the nation as the country’s new cricketing centre.
Leaders of the opposition questioned why Ahmedabad was given the mega games when their home states were not. “I am disappointed to learn that the World Cup 2024 fixture list does not include Thiruvananthapuram’s SportsHub, which is widely regarded as India’s top cricket venue. While Kerala may have benefited from a match or two, Ahmedabad is quickly establishing itself as the nation’s new cricket hub.” said Shashi Tharoor.
The decision to not assign matches to Mohali, according to Punjab’s Minister of Sports Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, was “politically motivated.” Test grounds like Nagpur and Mohali were passed over, but Dharamsala and Lucknow were given their first 50-over World Cup venues. Ashish Shelar, the BJP MP and BCCI treasurer, comes from the Mumbai Cricket Association and Devajit Saikia, the joint secretary of the BCCI, resides in Guwahati, one of the three locations that will hold warm-up matches.
Shah claimed that the competition would demonstrate to the globe that the 50-over format, which is continuously battling to compete with the more popular T20 version, is still alive and well at the event to announce the calendar in Mumbai. The World Cup in India, he asserted, “will put an end to the debate about the future of ODIs.”
India Pakistan World Cup match (Credits: Getty Images)
India in the world cup
India’s opening match against the five-time champions Australia on October 8 in Chennai should be challenging. The hosts are anticipated to repeat the feat that M. S. Dhoni and his team accomplished in 2011.
Meanwhile, everyone is focused on the October 15 match between India and Pakistan. “Everyone is eagerly anticipating the India-Pakistan game. I myself am. The team that manages pressure best will win, according to Virender Sehwag, a member of Dhoni’s World Cup-winning squad. I’m not sure what will happen on that particular day.
However, their schedule has not been modified despite the Pakistan Cricket Board’s worries over playing India in Ahmedabad. Additionally to Ahmedabad, Pakistan will play at Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata.
In the event that India and Pakistan square off in the semifinals, a top BCCI official confirmed that Kolkata, as opposed to Mumbai, will host the game. “If the India-Pakistan semi final occurs, it will be held in Kolkata since there is concern that political groups may interrupt the game. But Mumbai will be the site of any upcoming India matches against other teams, they added.
