After 47 matches in the ODI World Cup 2023, only two teams, India and Australia, are in with a chance to win the coveted title. They lock horns on Sunday, November 19 at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have left no stone unturned in making the marquee event a spectacle that will be remembered fondly for years to come. Ahead of the summit clash, ICC announced a commentary panel involving several stalwarts who are going to be behind the microphone to discuss and dissect the all-important tie. Two World Cup-winning captains, Ricky Ponting and Eoin Morgan will be a part of the panel that consists of veteran commentators like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, and Ian Bishop, among others.
“Kass Naidoo, Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting, Ian Smith, Sanjay Manjrekar, Aaron Finch, Nasser Hussain, Harsha Bhogle, Dinesh Karthik, Matthew Hayden, Eoin Morgan, Ian Bishop, Shane Watson, Sunil Gavaskar and Mark Howard will bring world-class coverage to screen across the world for the final of the showpiece event,” the ICC said in a statement.
Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough named as on-field umpires
On Friday, November 17, ICC had announced that English umpires, Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will be officiating the ODI World Cup 2023 final as on-field umpires. Joel Wilson was named as the third umpire.
Chris Gaffaney will be the fourth umpire and Andy Pycroft will be serving as the Match Referee. They will have their work cut out as the stakes are going to be at an all-time high and two powerhouses of the game are not going to hold back at the largest cricket stadium in the world.
India defeated Australia earlier in the tournament by six wickets at Chepauk. The Indian fans will hope for a repeat of that result. However, the ‘Men in Yellow’ have history on their side as they defeated India in the finals of the 2003 ODI World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa.