The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is the most prestigious and popular tournament in the world of cricket. It is a quadrennial event that features the best teams and players from across the globe. The 2023 edition of the tournament will be the 13th in its history and will be hosted by India for the fourth time. This essay will provide an overview of the tournament, its history, schedule, venues, teams, trophies, and how to watch it live.
Cricket T20 World Cup
The Cricket T20 World Cup is a different format of the game that involves 20 overs per side. It was introduced in 2007 and has been held seven times so far. The next edition will be held in Australia in 2022. The T20 World Cup is not to be confused with the ODI World Cup, which is the focus of this essay.
Cricket World Cup History
The Cricket World Cup was first held in 1975 in England and was won by West Indies. It was initially a 60-over-per-side tournament but was reduced to 50 overs in 1987. The tournament has been held every four years since then, except for a gap of five years between 1979 and 1983. The tournament has been hosted by various countries, such as Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and England.
First Cricket World Cup
The first Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1975 and featured eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and East Africa. The teams were divided into two groups of four each and played each other once. The top two teams from each group qualified for the semi-finals. The final was played at Lord’s between West Indies and Australia. West Indies won by 17 runs and became the first world champions.
List of Cricket World Cup Winners since 1975
The list of Cricket World Cup winners since 1975 is as follows:
| 1975 | West Indies |
| 1979 | West Indies |
| 1983 | India |
| 1987 | Australia |
| 1992 | Pakistan |
| 1996 | Sri Lanka |
| 1999 | Australia |
| 2003 | Australia |
| 2007 | Australia |
| 2011 | India |
| 2015 | Australia |
| 2019 | England |
World Cup Cricket Date
The World Cup Cricket date for the 2023 edition is from 5 October to 19 November. The tournament will last for 46 days and will feature 48 matches.
Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule
The Cricket World Cup schedule has been announced by the ICC on 27 June 2023. The tournament will have a round-robin format, where all ten teams will play each other once. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals and the final. The matches will be played across ten venues in India:
- Ahmedabad,
- Bengaluru,
- Chennai,
- Delhi,
- Dharamsala,
- Hyderabad,
- Kolkata,
- Lucknow,
- Mumbai,
- and Pune.
The opening match will be between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad on 5 October. The final will also be played in Ahmedabad on 19 November.
Cricket T20 World Cup Semi Final
The Cricket T20 World Cup Semi Final will be played between the top two teams from each group of the round-robin stage. The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The winners of the semi-finals will face each other in the final.
When is Cricket World Cup Final
The Cricket World Cup Final will be played on 19 November at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It will be a day-night match starting at 14:00 IST. The final will have a reserve day in case of rain or other interruptions.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Venues
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Venues are as follows:
- Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi Stadium (Capacity: 132000)
- Bengaluru: M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Capacity: 40000)
- Chennai: MA Chidambaram Stadium (Capacity: 50000)
- Delhi: Arun Jaitley Stadium (Capacity: 41000)
- Dharamsala: HPCA Stadium (Capacity: 23000)
- Hyderabad: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium (Capacity: 55000)
- Kolkata: Eden Gardens (Capacity: 68000)
- Lucknow: BRSABVE Cricket Stadium (Capacity: 50000)
- Mumbai: Wankhede Stadium (Capacity: 33000)
- Pune: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Capacity: 37000)
Cricket World Cup 2023 Teams
The Cricket World Cup 2023 Teams are as follows:
- Australia: The five-time champions and the runners-up of the 2019 edition.
- Bangladesh: The rising stars of Asian cricket.
- England: The current holders of the trophy and the hosts of the 2019 edition.
- India: The hosts of the tournament and the two-time champions.
- New Zealand: The runners-up of the 2015 and 2019 editions.
- Pakistan: The champions of the 1992 edition and the winners of the Champions Trophy in 2017.
- South Africa: The perennial underachievers of the tournament.
- Sri Lanka: The champions of the 1996 edition and the finalists of the 2007 and 2011 editions.
World Cup Trophy
The World Cup Trophy is a silver and gold trophy that was designed by Garrard & Co in 1999. It features a golden globe held up by three silver columns that represent batting, bowling, and fielding. The trophy weighs approximately 11 kg and stands at 60 cm high. The trophy is kept by the ICC until the final match of each edition. The winning team is presented with a replica trophy that they can keep permanently.
Cricket Women’s World Cup 2023
The Cricket Women’s World Cup is the equivalent tournament for women’s cricket. It was first held in 1973 in England and has been held eleven times so far. The next edition will be held in New Zealand in March-April 2022. The tournament will feature eight teams:
- Australia,
- England,
- India,
- New Zealand,
- South Africa,
- West Indies,
- Pakistan,
- Qualifier.
Australia is the defending champion and has won six titles so far.