India’s Virat Kohli and skipper Shubman Gill (ANI Photo)
New Delhi: India will begin their 2027 ODI World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced in Cape Town on Thursday. The tournament will begin on October 2 with a three-match Super Series to determine two qualifiers. As has been the trend in ICC events over the last decade, India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group and are slated to face each other on October 10 in Johannesburg. The 51-day tournament will conclude with the final in Johannesburg on November 21. India will get a two-day break before the match against Pakistan, who will play their opening match against Afghanistan in Tshwane on October 8. The 12 teams have been divided into two groups, with the top three from each group and the best fourth-placed team advancing to the Super 7 phase, followed by the two semifinals. Should a non-seeded team finish in a qualifying position above a pre-seeded team, it will assume the Super 7 position allocated to the pre-seeded team it has displaced.
The two finalists from the last edition will kick off the round-robin stage. This has been done to make it easier for fans to plan their travel for the tournament.