You can feel the excitement in the air with the 13th edition of the Cricket World Cup just one week away from its kickoff. It’s the biggest and most prestigious trophy in world cricket, and the upcoming tournament promises to be a blockbuster.
The 2023 ODI World Cup will begin on October 5th and conclude on November 19. A total of 45 matches will be played in the group stage, followed by three knockout fixtures. The two semifinals will be played in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16, respectively while the final will take place at Ahmedabad.
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The 10 teams competing in the World Cup 2023 are India, Australia, England, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Netherlands and South Africa.
The teams will face each other once in a round-robin format and at the end of the group stage, top four sides will advance through to the semifinals.
Before the much-awaited tournament begins, let’s take a look at the favourites and key players to watch out for in the World Cup 2023.
Who are the favourites?
- India head into the World Cup as favourites with the odds of 3.00. They recently won the Asia Cup with ease, hammering Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the tournament. India are packed with high quality in both batting and bowling units, with not many weaknesses.
- England, the defending champions, are second favourites to win the World Cup at 4.00 They have a formidable batting line-up and good bowling resources. England are coming off a 3-1 series victory over New Zealand.
- Australia have had a poor build-up to the tournament, losing five of their previous six games. Australia have odds of 5.00 for the World Cup.
Who can be the dark horse?
South Africa have a very good batting line-up and have the ability to out-bat other teams. Their bowling attack is a concern but batters can win them the match on a given day. South Africa have 10.00 odds of winning the World Cup.
Key Players
Virat Kohli has been in magnificent form with the bat in ODIs. He has made 612 runs this year at 56 average and 113 strike rate, including three hundreds. Potentially being his last World Cup, expect him to have a great tournament.
Glenn Maxwell will have a huge role to play for Australia on these Indian pitches. He was excellent in the last ODI against India, picking 4 for 40. With the bat, he has smashed 618 runs at 41 average and 131 strike rate.
Jos Buttler is one of the best batters in the business and will be a key player for England. He has a stellar record in ODIs and has scored 418 runs in the last eight games at 52 average and 112 strike rate.
The World Cup 2023 will get underway with England and New Zealand taking on each other at Ahmedabad on October 5. The average first innings score at the venue stands at 235 from 28 ODIs. Expect the team winning the toss to bat first. England are a stronger side and have a win probability of 68%.
Pakistan and Netherlands are scheduled to face off in the second game at Hyderabad on October 6. The average batting first score at this venue reads 288 after seven ODIs. Pakistan have a considerably stronger side in this matchup and have a win probability of 90%.
The third match of the World Cup 2023 will be between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at Dharamshala in a day fixture on October 7. The pitches here aid seamers and the average first innings score reads 214. Expect the team winning the toss to bowl first. Bangladesh are slight favourites with a win probability of 64%.
