On Friday, November 10, the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Indian holiday Diwali were celebrated with a light spectacular at Mumbai’s Gateway of India. Diwali is a celebration of light, signifying the triumph of light over evil or darkness on a spiritual level. Commencing on Dhanteras, the festivities extend over a period of five to six days. This year, when the Men in Blue attempt to win their first major world trophy in a decade. The joyous occasion of Diwali falls during the ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
Pakistan is all but eliminated from the last four competition, and the potential semi-finalists, India, South Africa, Australia, as well as New Zealand were shown in a light show on the apex cricket council’s X channel.
For those who don’t know, the first semifinal between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15 may resemble the ODI World Cup 2019 semi-final. In their most recent league match, India defeated the Kiwis by a margin of four wickets.
On November 16, South Africa will play Australia, the five-time winners, at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. During the league stage, the Proteas just defeated the Australians by 134 runs.
The Gateway of India lights up in Mumbai to celebrate #CWC23 and Diwali ? pic.twitter.com/3WGJ4KCevS
— ' (@EdenGardens1214) November 10, 2023
India on the verge of history ahead of Netherlands clash
On Diwali (Sunday, November 12), India’s last 2023 World Cup league match will take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against the Netherlands.
The Men in Blue come into the game fresh off an eight-game winning run. They won their most recent game against South Africa by a massive margin of 243 runs. A five-wicket haul from Ravindra Jadeja and the record-tying 49th ODI century from Virat Kohli were crucial in India’s victory.
The two main advantages for the home team are Virat Kohli’s batting and India skipper Rohit Sharma. With an average of 108.60, Kohli has scored 543 runs in eight matches, including four half-centuries and two tonnes. In contrast, Rohit has amassed 442 runs with an average of 55.25 in eight games. This includes two centuries and two half-centuries to his name.