Pakistan-India match likely to be held Oct 14 instead of Oct 15

The much-awaited ICC World Cup 2023 clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India - scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad on October 15 - can be rescheduled, report agencies.
Since the tournament's most anticipated game is on the first day of Navratri, a festival celebrated with mass participation across Gujarat, security agencies have advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to tweak the itinerary.
The match could take place on October 14 instead of the original date of October 15 in Ahmedabad.
A top BCCI official, who did not wish to be identified, told The Indian Express that the board was considering options and a decision would be announced soon.
"We have been told by the security agencies that a high-profile game like India vs Pakistan, for which thousands of travelling fans are expected to reach Ahmedabad, should be avoided since they will be stretched because of Navratri."
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has also written a letter to the associations hosting the mega event's matches to attend a meeting in New Delhi on July 27.
During the meeting, the board might inform the members of the security concerns around Ahmedabad and finalise a new date for the highly-anticipated clash.
It must be noted that 10 teams will fight for the World Cup title across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final.
In a move that could impact the overall ODI World Cup schedule.
The original World Cup schedule has October 14 down as a double-header day: England play Afghanistan in a day match in Delhi and New Zealand play Bangladesh in day-night game in Chennai. Incidentally, there are no triple-headers scheduled, though there are two matches on six days.
India, who open their World Cup campaign on October 8 with a game against Australia in Chennai, would have also played Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi before the game against Pakistan, while their next fixture is against Bangladesh on October 19 in Pune.
As for Pakistan, they play Netherlands in Hyderabad on October 6, the second day of the tournament, and Sri Lanka on October 12, also in Hyderabad, before playing India, followed by their fourth game, against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.
Therefore, in case the game moves to October 14, Pakistan will have just a day between their games in Hyderabad and in Ahmedabad, while India will have two days' gap.
The development comes roughly a month after the BCCI announced the World Cup schedule, which itself was severely delayed. While the BCCI has not yet announced any information on when matches tickets will go on sale, fans and other stakeholders have already booked flights and hotels in Ahmedabad for the match, which has historically been one of the most watched sporting events globally.