• Source:JND
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The upcoming ODI World Cup is set to take place in India as the 13th edition of this prestigious tournament will be played from October 5 to November 19, 2023.

India will be hosting the world cup solely for the first time ever, having previously co-hosted the tournament as the Men in Blue eye to end the long and frustrating wait for an ICC trophy.

Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath has named his top four teams for the tournament. The legendary bowler said that he expects Australia, India, England, and Pakistan to be in the final four teams of the tournament.

 

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Australia are the five-time title holders with McGrath being part of three campaigns in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

India have two world cup title wins under their belt which they won in 1983 and 2011 with England and Pakistan having won the tournament once each in 2019 and 1992 respectively.

“You wouldn’t be surprised I'm putting Australia in that four. Obviously, India are playing in their own conditions. England are playing some great cricket and Pakistan are also playing fine. So they are the best four,” McGrath said ahead of the tournament.

McGrath praised India's leading bowler Jasprit Bumrah for his remarkable performances on the Indian pitches and said that if one can succeed in India, they can succeed anywhere in the world.

Bumrah will be eyeing a place in the tournament as he makes a return from a long injury break and has been named captain for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland.

The pacer has been out of action since September 2022 due to a back injury but is expected to gain full fitness for the enormous tournament.

“India is probably the toughest place to be a fast bowler. Pitches are not that juicy here. But now young (seam) bowlers are coming from India, whom probably we haven't seen before. It’s because fast bowling here wasn’t as focused as it is now. If you succeed here, you can succeed anywhere in the world as a fast bowler,” McGrath said.

The 10-team world cup will follow the same round-robin league format that was seen in the 2019 World Cup.

 

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The matches of the tournament will be played across various cities in India including Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata, while the final match will take place at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.