Cricket World Cup 2023 schedule, where to watch, prediction

From left, New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson, India's captain Rohit Sharma, Pakistan's captain Babar Azam and England's captain Jos Buttler share a light moment as they pose with the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Photo / AP

The Cricket World Cup has returned to India after 12 years.

All eyes will be on Rohit Sharma’s India as they look to emulate M.S. Dhoni’s team’s feat of winning the World Cup at home. India hasn’t won an ICC event since the 2013 Champions Trophy, and the 2011 triumph remains its last World Cup trophy.

Defending champion England and record five-time winners Australia, who play India in its first match on Oct. 8 in Chennai, are the other top contenders for the title.

Regional foe Pakistan’s challenge depends on the form and fitness of two players — skipper Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Afridi. Pacer Naseem Shah has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a right shoulder injury.

Sri Lanka punched above its weight to reach the Asia Cup final. New Zealand — which lost to England in a controversial boundary countback in the 2019 final — South Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands complete the 10-team lineup which will be expanded to 14 teams for the next Cricket World Cup in October-November 2027 co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The round-robin format sees all 10 teams play each other once in a single group ( 45 matches). The top four teams advance to the semifinals on Nov. 16 and 17. The final is scheduled for Nov. 19.

Thursday October 5

New Zealand v England, 9.30pm

Friday October 6

Pakistan v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Saturday October 7

Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 6pm

South Africa v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Sunday October 8

India v Australia, 9.30pm

Monday October 9

New Zealand v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Tuesday October 10

England v Bangladesh, 6pm

Wednesday October 11

India v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Thursday October 12

Australia v South Africa, 9.30pm

Friday October 13

New Zealand v Bangladesh, 9.30pm

Saturday October 14

India v Pakistan, 9.30pm

Sunday October 15

England v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Monday October 16

Australia v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Tuesday October 17

South Africa v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Wednesday October 18

New Zealand v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Thursday October 19

India v Bangladesh, 9.30pm

Friday October 20

Australia v Pakistan, 9.30pm

Saturday October 21

Netherlands v Sri Lanka, 6pm

England v South Africa, 9.30pm

Sunday October 22

New Zealand v India, 9.30pm

Monday October 23

Pakistan v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Tuesday October 24

South Africa v Bangladesh, 9.30pm

Wednesday October 25

Australia v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Thursday October 26

England v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Friday October 27

Pakistan v South Africa, 9.30pm

Saturday October 28

New Zealand v Australia, 6pm

Sunday October 29

India v England, 9.30pm

Monday October 30

Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Tuesday October 31

Pakistan v Bangladesh, 9.30pm

Wednesday November 1

New Zealand v South Africa, 9.30pm

Thursday November 2

India v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Friday November 3

Netherlands v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Saturday November 4

New Zealand v Pakistan, 6pm

England v Australia, 9.30pm

Sunday November 5

India v South Africa, 9.30pm

Monday November 6

Australia v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Tuesday November 8

England v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Wednesday November 9

New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 9.30pm

Thursday November 10

South Africa v Afghanistan, 9.30pm

Friday November 11

Australia v Bangadesh 6pm

England v Pakistan, 9.30pm

Saturday November 12

India v Netherlands, 9.30pm

Wednesday November 15

Semifinal 1

Thursday November 16

Semifinal 2

Sunday November 19

Final

The West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 but for the first time failed to qualify. They played in the qualifying tournament in June and July but were stunned by Netherlands in a Super Over before also losing to Scotland and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka and Netherlands ended up claiming the two spots for the World Cup.

For fans in New Zealand, Sky Sport will feature all Men’s Cricket World Cup matches.

India $2.70, England $4.33, Australia $4.50, Pakistan $8.50, South Africa $8.50, New Zealand $10, Sri Lanka $51, Bangladesh $101, Afghanistan $126, Netherlands $501.

Hard to go past hosts India and rivals Pakistan to claim two of the semifinal positions. The other two could be a battle between Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and defending champions England.

Semifinals

India v Australia

Pakistan v New Zealand

Final

India v Pakistan

Winner

India

2019 - England

2015 - Australia

2011 - India

2007 - Australia

2003 - Australia

1999 - Australia

1996 - Sri Lanka

1992 - Pakistan

1987 - Australia

1983 - India

1979 - West Indies

1975 - West Indies

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Reyaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah Zurmati, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Ali Khil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Naveen ul Haq Murid.

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.

England: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav.

Netherlands: Scott Edwards (captain), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka.