Ahmedabad , Bharat, 5 October:The Cricket World Cup 2023 will kick off at the Narendra Modi Stadium, featuring an opening match between England and New Zealand.The Cricket World Cup 2023 is commencing today, with the opening fixture featuring England, the defending champions, against New Zealand, the runners-up from the previous edition. Despite some earlier rumors suggesting the possibility of an opening ceremony preceding the tournament, neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India nor the International Cricket Council has confirmed any such event. Currently, there are no plans for an opening ceremony before the Cricket World Cup begins. According to a report in the Times of India, there was never an intention to hold an opening ceremony for the World Cup. One reason cited for this decision is the timing of the matches, with the matches starting in the afternoon, unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), which often starts in the evening and allows for shorter opening ceremonies.
Although no official opening ceremony is on the schedule, the BCCI did organize the Captains’ Day on the eve of the England vs. New Zealand opener. During this event, all 10 captains were interviewed by former Bharatiya head coach Ravi Shastri and former England captain Eoin Morgan.
When questioned about the historical trend of hosting nations winning the last three World Cups, India captain Rohit Sharma played down its significance. He expressed his focus on giving their best in the tournament and enjoying the Cricket World Cup 2023, emphasizing the excitement and enthusiasm of Indian cricket fans, who are expected to fill the stadiums. The opening match of the Cricket World Cup will kick off at 2:00 PM IST, with the toss taking place at 1:30 PM IST.
