Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar shared his perspective on India’s initial World Cup matches, emphasizing the advantage of facing tough teams first.
In an interview with Star Sports, Gavaskar stated,
“It would have been even more difficult if you were to play Australia in a must-win last match. I feel it is always an advantage to play against the good teams first.”
According to Gavaskar, losing to stronger teams initially provides an opportunity to make up for the loss in the remaining matches. He explained,
“If you don’t get a good result, you have chances later. If you probably play against some weak team later, you will know what you need to do against them and with what margin you need to win.”
The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, known for its massive capacity of 132,000 spectators. India has a flawless record against Pakistan in the 50-over World Cup, winning all seven encounters, including the memorable 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali.
The Cricket World Cup will follow a round-robin format, with all teams facing each other in a total of 45 league matches. The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, to be held in Mumbai and Kolkata. In case Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals, their match will take place in Kolkata. However, if India qualifies and faces Pakistan, the match will be held in Kolkata, while the other semi-final involving India will be in Mumbai.
Here is India’s schedule for the 2023 World Cup:
- October 8: India vs Australia in Chennai
- October 11: India vs Afghanistan in New Delhi
- October 15: India vs Pakistan in Ahmedabad
- October 19: India vs Bangladesh in Pune
- October 22: India vs New Zealand in Dharamsala
- October 29: India vs England in Lucknow
- November 2: India vs Sri Lanka in Mumbai
- November 5: India vs South Africa in Kolkata
- November 11: India vs Qualifier 1 in Bengaluru
Also, see:
Pakistan’s schedule for World Cup 2023 after Sri Lanka qualify
