BCCI Secretary Jai Shah: India's Bilateral Matches to Take Place in Mohali-Nagpur, No Matches at World Cup Venue This Season

india's Bilateral Matches Scheduled for Mohali and Nagpur, Not World Cup Venues: Jai Shah Announces Fair Distribution of Matches

In January 2023, Team India celebrated victories over New Zealand in both the ODI and T20 series, showcasing their prowess on home ground.

For the current season, Team India will not have bilateral matches scheduled at the venues hosting the ODI World Cup. Jai Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), held discussions with state boards prior to the announcement of the World Cup schedule. Cities that were not selected as World Cup venues were assured that they would host bilateral series matches during this season.

Cities such as Mohali, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, and Indore missed out on hosting World Cup matches. Consequently, it is anticipated that Team India will play matches against Australia in these cities ahead of the World Cup.

Shah's request accepted by all venues

Jai Shah sent letters to the associations responsible for hosting the World Cup, requesting that they refrain from scheduling matches during India's domestic season. All venues, including Delhi, Dharamshala, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Lucknow, agreed to the request.

However, venues such as Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, which hosted World Cup warm-up matches, will be given priority for hosting bilateral matches.

Shah emphasizes equal opportunities for all states

Jai Shah stated to the news agency PTI, "It is not possible to host World Cup matches in every state of the country. To find a solution, I requested the boards hosting the World Cup venues to exclude bilateral matches during their turn. I am pleased to inform everyone that all the states have accepted the request. Consequently, only those cities that did not host World Cup matches will have matches during the home season."

Matches to be held in Mohali and Nagpur

Several prominent cities and grounds were left out of the World Cup hosting list. Among them, Mohali's IS Bindra Stadium, which hosted the 1996 and 2011 World Cup semifinals, topped the list. Nagpur, Indore, Ranchi, Rajkot, Raipur, Cuttack, and Visakhapatnam were also excluded. Team India will play three ODIs against Australia in India before the World Cup, and it is likely that matches of the Australia series will be held in these cities.

After the World Cup, Team India will play ODIs against New Zealand and Afghanistan. Additionally, there will be five Tests against England in 2024, as well as two Tests against Bangladesh and three Tests against New Zealand. As per Jai Shah's request, India's upcoming matches may be scheduled in cities such as Indore and Raipur.

5-5 matches in 9 venues, with 3 matches in Hyderabad

The ODI World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 5 to November 19. With the exception of Hyderabad, there will be five matches each at the remaining nine venues. Hyderabad will host two warm-up matches, while Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will host four warm-up matches. The two semifinal matches will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata, with the final set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Team India to open the World Cup in Chennai

The opening match of the World Cup will be played between the previous finalists, New Zealand and England, in Ahmedabad. Team India will play their first match against Australia on October 8 in Chennai. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on October 15. Pakistan will commence their campaign against the Qualifier-1 team on October 6 in Hyderabad.