ICC Cricket World Cup trophy reaches Taj Mahal

 With only 50 days remaining for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the prestigious trophy was proudly displayed at the enchanting Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

The gleaming silverware, set to be the ultimate prize when the tournament gets underway from October 5 to November 19, radiated under the sun against the magnificent backdrop of the Taj Mahal—a true Wonder of the World. This recent visit to the Taj Mahal symbolized a harmonious blend of India's rich cultural heritage and the pinnacle of cricket, offering an exquisite spectacle for fans as the tournament's excitement continues to build. The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Trophy Tour aims to capture the festive and celebratory spirit associated with Cricket World Cups, presenting a series of grand events at some of the world's most iconic destinations.

"50 days to go for #CWC23," tweeted ICC.

https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1691705052379934750

On August 9, ICC released a statement to announce the revised schedule for the upcoming World Cup in India on Wednesday.

The much-awaited encounter between India and Pakistan in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 has been rescheduled to a different day, along with this eight other matches of the tournament have also been changed.

The clash between India and Pakistan was originally slated to take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 15, but this clash has been moved a day earlier and will now be held at the same venue on Saturday, October 14.

As a result, England's fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi will be moved from Saturday, October 14 and will now be played 24 hours later on Sunday, October 15.

Pakistan's contest against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad has moved from Thursday, 12 October to now being played on Tuesday, 10 October and Australia's big match against South Africa in Lucknow moved back 24 hours and will now be played on Thursday, October 12 instead of Friday, October 13.

Similarly, New Zealand's game against Bangladesh originally scheduled as a day match for October 14 in Chennai has been moved back and will now be held on Friday, October 13 and be played as a day-night contest.

From the initial phase of the tournament, a minor change to the fixture refers to the timing of England's match-up against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, with the clash becoming a day match and a 10:30 AM (local time) start after it was originally scheduled as a day-night fixture.

Towards the end of the league stage, there are three changes with the double-header encounters of Sunday, 12 November being moved a day earlier to Saturday, 11 November – Australia vs Pakistan in Pune (10:30 AM) and England vs Pakistan in Kolkata (02:00 PM).

Meanwhile, India's last league game against the Netherlands has now been shifted from 11 to 12 November, a day-night clash to be played in Bengaluru.

The World Cup commences on Thursday, 5 October when 2019 finalists England and New Zealand clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with the event culminating in the final at the same venue on Sunday, 19 November. India will start its campaign with a match against Australia in Chennai on October 8.

Ten teams will feature in this biggest Cricket World Cup ever, to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. The event will feature 48 matches to be played across 46 days.

The venues other than Ahmedabad and Chennai are Bengaluru, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. While Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will join Hyderabad in hosting the practice games.

Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots were decided by the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands grabbed the two final spots in the tournament.

The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals, to be played in Mumbai on November 15 and in Kolkata on November 16. The final will be on November 19 in Ahmedabad. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. (ANI)