The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly making its final preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with a stronger governing body that is mulling October 2 as the tournament’s opening date for the 14-team format.
A Cricbuzz report indicates that the ICC wants to mark Gandhi’s birth, Mahatma Gandhi & his message of peace & non-violence by kicking off on Gandhi Jayanti today which is October 2.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will be hosting the 2027 World Cup. There’s also a strong sense that South Africa’s decision to start exploration in October 2 was influenced by the earlier Gandhi spent two decades in South Africa.
ICC had been thinking of starting the tournament on 8 and 10-15 for the warm-up games. The plans have since been amended, however, and October 2 seems to be the new preferred target date to open the campus.
The final game should be on November 21, bringing the tournament to a total of around 50 days.
There will be 14 teams participating in the 2027 edition, and the tournament will be played at a number of locations in the host countries.
The ICC has just announced the host cities for the World Cup, which will be 12 cities spread wide from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The book of venue is filled with eight locations in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and Windhoek, Namibia’s capital.
With the proposed schedule being finalized, the 2027 ODI World Cup might kick off with a symbolic celebration of Gandhi’s legacy and then cricket will be put on display in southern Africa.