ICC World Cup 2023 – The Venues You Must Know About

We are a little over a month away from the ICC World Cup 2023 and the buzz is picking up! It’s the 13^th edition of the ICC ODI men’s cricket World Cup that kicks off on 5^th October to 19^th November 2023. The ODI World Cup 2023 will be held in a total of 10 sports stadiums throughout the country and will be the first World Cup to be solely hosted by India without any co-host. Excitement will light up every street as passion takes centerstage and ‘India, India’ resounds throughout the nation.

Some Fun Facts

• The opening match will be held at the state-of-the-art Narendra Modi Stadium which is the largest cricket stadium in the world.
• The mother of all battles – India vs. Pakistan will again be held at Narendra Modi stadium.
• The final is on November 19 – the day Indira Gandhi was born in 1917.
• The last three World Cups have been won by the host nations.

This mega event will have a total of 48 matches and will be played by 10 teams in a battle for the coveted title. Each team will play the other nine in a round-robin format with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals, making this tournament a destination itself. Foreign citizens in India must consider tour packages since it is a multi-city tournament.

Top Venues for ICC World Cup 2023

Besides being a premier cricket tournament, the ICC World Cup 2023 will also be a showcase of Indian stadiums and the facilities on offer. Here’s the list of ODI World Cup venues where the matches will be played: -

• Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad)
• Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bangalore)
• A Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai)
• Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (Hyderabad)
• Eden Gardens (Kolkata)
• Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune)
• BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium
• Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
• HPCA Stadium (Himachal Pradesh)
• Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)

Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad)

• Established in 1983, renovated & expanded in 2020
• Capacity: 1,32,000
• Renovated and expanded by Larsen & Toubro

It is the largest cricket venue and it remains one of the primary venues for the 2023 ODI World Cup that will be hosting fixtures like England vs. New Zealand (October 5^th), India vs. Pakistan (October 15^th), England vs. Australia (November 4^th) and the finals.

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bangalore)

• Established: 1969
• Capacity: 40,000

Among the foremost names on the ODI World Cup venue list, this is one of the first cricket stadiums in the world to use solar panels that fulfil the energy needs required to run the stadium, under the initiative of “Go Green” by Karnataka State Cricket Association. The venue will host some of the most highly anticipated matches such as Australia vs. Pakistan (October 20^th), England vs. Sri Lanka (October 26^th) and New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka (November 9^th).

M.A Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai)

• Established: 1916
• Capacity: 50,000

An important venue for the 2023 ODI World Cup, it is the second oldest stadium in India after Eden Gardens, and is also known as “Chepauk Stadium”. The renovation took place in 2010, with the placing of new cable-style conical roofing. The stadium is also the home ground to IPL Team “Chennai Super Kings” and will host some of the iconic events in this tournament like India vs. Australia (October 8^th), New Zealand Vs. Bangladesh (October 14^th) and South Africa Vs. Pakistan (October 27^th).

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (Hyderabad)

• Established: 2003
• Capacity: 55,000

It is amongst the newest stadiums in the country, named after former Prime Minister of India Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. To mark the retirement of Indian cricket legend “VVS Laxman”, HCA decided to honour the veteran by naming a pavilion end as North End after him. The venue will host- Pakistan vs. Netherlands (October 6^th) and Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka (October 12^th) during the ODI World Cup 2023.

Eden Gardens (Kolkata)

• Established: 1864
• Capacity: 68,000, Planned expansion: 1, 00,000, record attendance: 1, 10,564 (India vs. Sri Lanka 1996 World Cup semifinals).

A unique element of this ODI World Cup 2023 venue is a bell that was added in 2016 to mark the beginning of any match held at this facility. Indian Cricket legend Kapil Dev began this ritual to start every match; it began when the venue hosted India Vs. New Zealand in 2016. The stadium also serves as the home ground to the IPL Team – “Kolkata Knight Riders”. The facility underwent a massive makeover for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The venue will host Pakistan vs. Bangladesh (October 31^st), South Africa (November 5^th) and England vs. Pakistan (November 12^th).

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune)

• Established: 2012
• Capacity: 37,406

Designed by a London-based architect, Michael Hopkins, this ODI World Cup 2023 venue was inaugurated by BCCI and ICC. Since it’s a relatively new infrastructure, it has a very advanced rainwater drainage system. This technology during heavy showers lets the water on the outfield drain out faster, making the pitch ready to play again in just a few minutes. The venue will host India vs. Bangladesh (October 19^th), Australia vs. Bangladesh (November 12^th) and New Zealand vs. South Africa (November 1^st).

BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium

• Established: 2017
• Capacity: 50,000

This venue for the 2023 ODI World Cup is one of the newest stadiums in the BCCI’s arsenal. It served as home ground to the Afghanistan Cricket Team in 2019. It was previously named “Ekana Stadium”. The meaning of the word “Ekana” from Sanskrit is Unity. The venue will host India vs. England (October 29^th), Australia vs. South Africa (October 12^th) and Australia vs. Sri Lanka (October 16^th).

Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)

• Established: 1974
• Capacity: 32,000

One of the best cricketing venues in the world, the Wankhede Stadium is one of the most renowned sports facilities in the world that has hosted numerous high-profile matches in the past. It also houses the HQ of the Mumbai Cricket Association and serves as the home ground to the IPL team ‘Mumbai Indians’. The same stadium hosted the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final in which India defeated Sri Lanka to become the world champions. It also hosted the last match of Sachin Tendulkar’s international carrier. This ICC ODI World Cup 2023 venue will host England vs. South Africa (October 21^st), South Africa vs. Bangladesh (October 24^th) and India vs. Sri Lanka (November 2^nd).

HPCA Stadium (Himachal Pradesh)

• Established: 2003
• Capacity: 23,000

One of the most beautiful stadiums in India, it is the only venue in the ODI Cricket World Cup sitting at 1457 metres above sea level. The venue has been used sporadically for various IPL matches due to its high altitude and has a reputation for six-hitting. The venue will host England vs. Bangladesh (October 10^th), India Vs. New Zealand (October 22^nd) and Australia Vs. New Zealand (October 28^th).

Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi)

• Established: 1883
• Capacity: 48,000

It is the second oldest stadium in the Indian sub-continent that is named after former finance minister of India Mr. Arun Jaitley. Just like Wankhede Stadium, this facility has been an iconic sports venue in the country and serves as the home ground to the IPL team ‘Delhi Capitals’. The stadium will host Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka (November 6^th), India Vs. Afghanistan (October 11^th) and Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka (November 6^th).

ICC announced the World Cup schedule in June 2023 at an event in Mumbai to kick off the countdown of 100 days for the event. ICC also provided funding for the renovation of various facilities. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium has received a new grass surface, drainage system and hospitality boxes. Wankhede Stadium is also on the list to have upgrades in the outfield, floodlights, washrooms and corporate boxes. The Chidambaram stadium also received flood lights and an upgrade on the pitch for wickets, making India all set to efficiently host the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.

While the tournament will be held in multiple cities across the country, it makes sense for any individual arriving from abroad to opt for a tour package in India for the 2023 ODI World Cup. During the tournament, the days in-between matches can be utilized to explore the cities, try new cuisines, and ultimately have a unique experience of the Indian culture.