India-Pakistan ODI World Cup clash may be advanced due to Navratri celebrations in Ahmedabad | Cricket News – Times of India

Hotel and air fares for Ahmedabad soared significantly following the schedule announcement, causing distress among fans who had planned to attend the match. Now, if the game is indeed moved by a day, the ordeal for the fans is likely to worsen.
“Since October 15 coincides with the opening day of Navratri celebrations, the security agencies have advised that the big game, which will also need heavy deployment of security officials, should be rescheduled,” revealed a BCCI source to PTI.

The ICC will need to collaborate with the BCCI to finalise the date change, should the need arise. However, it has been clarified that the game will not be moved out of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. As a result, fans will still need to adjust their travel plans accordingly.
With hotel fares already exorbitant, reports emerged that passionate fans from all around the world had resorted to booking hospital beds in the city as accommodation during the event.
India’s opening World Cup game against Australia is scheduled for October 8 in Chennai, while Pakistan’s first two matches will be played in Hyderabad on October 6 and October 12. Advancing the Indo-Pak game by a day might also impact Pakistan’s preparation for the high-profile clash.

BCCI to meet on July 27 to take stock of World Cup preparations

The BCCI has called a meeting with the state associations hosting World Cup matches on July 27 in New Delhi to address the preparations for the World Cup. During the meeting, the possible date change for the India-Pakistan game will also be discussed.
“The meeting has been called to assess the preparations for the World Cup,” confirmed a state unit official.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah also wrote to the state associations regarding the formation of a Working Group for the World Cup. The five office-bearers of the BCCI, including Shah and BCCI president Roger Binny, will oversee the preparations of all venues, including the warm-up ones in Trivandrum and Guwahati.
The infrastructure and subsidy committee will include IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, former BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, former Apex Council member Prabhtej Bhatia, and KSCA secretary A Shankar.
The World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 5 to November 19 across 10 venues, including Delhi, Dharamsala, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Chennai, and Kolkata.
(With inputs from PTI)