Opening ceremony of Cricket World Cup 2023 cancelled

The ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 will not be having any opening ceremony as decided by the host nation‘s Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This will be the first time in many editions of the ODI World Cup that there will be no official opening ceremony preceding the opening fixture.

The first match will be played between defending champions England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5.

It has been disclosed that the traditionally held opening ceremony for this grandest cricketing event will not take place.  The BCCI intended to stage a lavish opening one day prior to the tournament’s inaugural match at the same location.

Projected to feature celebrated Bollywood personalities like Ranveer Singh, Arijit Singh, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shreya Ghoshal and Asha Bhosle, the ceremony was also anticipated to showcase fireworks and a laser display to herald the commencement of the Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

The opening ceremony was expected to be succeeded by the Captains’ Day event  which will be attended by the captain of all 10 teams. However, it must be mentioned that there’s been no formal announcement concerning the opening ceremony’s cancellation.

A highlight of the tournament, the India vs Pakistan match, is scheduled for October 14 in Ahmedabad. The BCCI is considering organising a function in Ahmedabad ahead of this blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan.

The Indian team has exhibited formidable form in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 where they claimed victory against Sri Lanka to become champions and maintained a winning streak by defeating Australia 2-1 in a three-match series.

Conversely, the Pakistani team, after a lacklustre performance in the Asia Cup coupled with the injury of fast bowler Naseem Shah, faces a challenging path ahead.