The matches of the ODI World Cup to be held in India later this year will be held in 12 cities. As per reports, the World Cup will begin on October 5 and the final match will be played on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Apart from Ahmedabad, matches of this global tournament will be held in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot, and Mumbai. The 46-day World Cup will have a total of 48 matches, including three knockout matches.
Except for the final match, the BCCI has not decided on the venue for any of the matches so far. Apart from this, a final decision has not been taken on which cities the teams will play practice matches. It is believed that due to the impact of monsoons in different parts of the country at that time, there is a delay in deciding the venue.
Usually, the ICC announces the World Cup schedule at least a year in advance, but this time it is also waiting for the BCCI to get the necessary approval from the Indian government. The two major issues involved are getting tax exemption for the tournament and granting visas to the Pakistan team.
During the ICC meeting in Dubai last week, the BCCI learned to have assured cricket's global body that visas for the Pakistani contingent would be cleared by the Indian government. As far as the issue of tax exemption is concerned, it is expected that the BCCI will soon update the ICC on the Government of India's opinion in this regard.
