ISLAMABAD: The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the much-awaited Pakistan-India World Cup match scheduled for October and November this year under the aegis of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Indian Express said the match is significant as the two arch-rivals will face off for the first time on Indian soil since 2016.
With a seating capacity of 0.1 million, the largest stadium in India has been selected for the match in anticipation that many fans are expected to arrive from abroad for the crucial fixture.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce the cricket World Cup schedule at the grand launch once the Indian Premier League (IPL) concludes. The tournament is set to kick off on October 5 with matches to be played in Nagpur, Trivandrum, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Rajkot, Indore, Dharamshala and Bengaluru.
Bangladesh and Pakistan would play most of their cricket matches in Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, and Kolkata.
The BCCI has consulted the Indian cricket team management to seek their preferences for the matches apart from the one with Pakistan. The cricket team has requested the BCCI to allot fixtures against England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to venues that aid spinners, as they prefer dead pitches to maximise their home advantage.
The state units have given their wish list to the BCCI, but the decision on allotting cricket matches to venues will be taken only by the BCCI. There is a strong chance of Chennai’s Chidambaram Stadium hosting India’s game against Australia, while matches against England, South Africa and New Zealand will be played in other centres with slow pitches.
