Bangladesh will start their World Cup campaign on October 7 as the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the schedule today.
The Tigers will play their first two matches of the World Cup in the hill city of Dharamsala–against Afghanistan (7 October) and England (10 October) as they aim to make it to the knockouts of the tournament for the first time.
The cricket’s showpiece event starts on October 5 with the match between England and New Zealand, the finalists of the last edition.
Bangladesh also features in two matches each in Pune and Kolkata. They go up against India on 19 October and against Australia in a day game on 12 November, while their fixtures in Kolkata include one against sub-continental rivals Pakistan.
Ahmedabad will host the tournament opener as well as the final. The other venues are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram join Hyderabad in hosting the practice games.
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal exuded confidence ahead of the 10-team tournament and expected his team to adjust well to the conditions.
Tamim Iqbal: “This is the ultimate event. Nothing compares to a one-day World Cup because this is the most challenging white-ball format which continuously tests your game awareness and temperament.
“The tournament’s structure gives you no scope to relax. Every team is tough and there are no easy games.
“Playing in India is always very enjoyable. The electric atmosphere, great stadiums and the very knowledgeable cricket fans make the experience fulfilling. We have always received excellent support whenever we played there.
“I am very confident with the side we will take to the World Cup. We have been performing at a very high level in ODIs and were one of the leading sides in the World Cup qualifying. There is a nice blend of experience and talent, and the conditions will be familiar. “
Eight teams have qualified for the 46-day event through the Cricket World Cup Super League while the final two spots will be taken by the finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in Zimbabwe.
The tournament retains the round-robin format of last time with all teams playing against each other for a total of 45 league matches. There are six day matches in the tournament, which will start at 10h30local time. All other matches, including the knockouts, will be day-night fixtures starting at 14h00.
The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals to be played in Mumbai on 15 November and in Kolkata on 16 November. The semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
Bangladesh fixtures at World Cup (day-night matches unless indicated otherwise):
07 October – vs Afghanistan, Dharamsala
10 October – vs England, Dharamsala
14 October – vs New Zealand, Chennai
19 October – vs India, Pune
24 October – vs South Africa, Mumbai
28 October – vs Qualifier 1, Kolkata
31 October – vs Pakistan, Kolkata
06 November – vs Qualifier 2, Delhi
12 November – vs Australia, Pune (day match) (BSS)
