How Delhi has featured in India’s World Cup plans

In about three weeks, India will start its title defence of the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka. Five venues in India — Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata — and three in Sri Lanka are set to host matches in the 10th edition of the tournament.

Delhi, or more precisely, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), has been allotted five matches. However, as on previous occasions when India has hosted World Cup tournaments, the DDCA has largely been assigned lower-profile fixtures.

Most of the teams scheduled to play in Delhi are lower-ranked sides. One match each involving India and South Africa has also been allotted, but both are expected to be uneven contests, given the relative strength of the opposition. India play Namibia on February 12, while South Africa face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 18.

The other matches are Namibia vs the Netherlands on February 10, Canada vs UAE on February 13, and Afghanistan vs UAE on February 16. One match from the Super Eights stage has also been allotted to Delhi, though the teams for the March 1 encounter will be known only after the group stage concludes.

If the DDCA is fortunate, it could host an India match, depending on how Suryakumar Yadav’s side progresses while defending the title India won under Rohit Sharma in June 2024 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Earlier World Cups

India has hosted four 50-over World Cups and one T20 World Cup, and the DDCA, as a host association, has often not received marquee match-ups.

The first World Cup in India was held in 1987, when the T20 format was still decades away. It was also the first World Cup staged outside England. Since daylight hours in India and co-host Pakistan were shorter, each innings was reduced to 50 overs, ten fewer than in the previous tournaments held in England.

Although the DDCA hosted only one match in 1987, it was a notable fixture between India and the eventual winners, Australia, which turned out to be a high-scoring contest that India won comfortably.

The next World Cup in India came in 1996, co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. As many as 17 venues hosted matches in India, and Delhi, like other centres, hosted just one match. It was again a high-profile encounter between India and eventual champions Sri Lanka, who won despite Sachin Tendulkar’s century at the Feroz Shah Kotla, which was still under renovation.

T20 World Cup 2016

The next major tournament hosted by India was the 2016 T20 World Cup. Seven cities, including Delhi, staged 35 matches. The DDCA was allotted four matches, including a semi-final.

 

By comparison, Nagpur, the home city of the then BCCI president Shashank Manohar, hosted nine matches, while Dharamsala, in Himachal Pradesh, the home state of then BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, hosted seven matches.

The matches hosted by the DDCA were England vs Afghanistan, England vs Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka vs South Africa, and the New Zealand vs England semi-final. Notably, Delhi was not allotted an India match, a fixture most state associations seek.

World Cup 2011

When India co-hosted the 2011 World Cup along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Delhi was among the eight Indian venues. The DDCA hosted four matches, including one featuring India against the Netherlands.

However, it was not among the most sought-after fixtures, with India winning comfortably by five wickets. Other venues were allotted more prominent India matches.

The fact that the BCCI was founded in Delhi appears to carry limited significance in the current decision-making structure.

Recent tournaments

The most recent global tournament hosted by India was the 2023 World Cup. Ten venues, including Delhi, staged matches. Except for Hyderabad, which hosted three matches, all other venues hosted five matches each.

Although teams such as eventual winners Australia, runner-up India, and England played in Delhi, the DDCA was again not allotted a knockout fixture. The semi-finals were hosted by Mumbai and Kolkata, while Ahmedabad hosted the final.

Venue selection

This was not the first instance where the home city or state of a senior BCCI office-bearer hosted key matches in a World Cup or bilateral series. Such patterns have continued over the years, regardless of administrative changes.

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In contrast, other cricketing nations have traditionally prioritised established venues for major matches. Lord’s hosted the finals of the first three World Cups in 1975, 1979 and 1983; Melbourne hosted the 1992 final; Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, hosted the 1996 final; and the Wanderers, Johannesburg, staged the 2003 final. In India, Kolkata hosted the finals of the 1987 World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup.

Preparations lag

Just over three weeks remain before the Kotla hosts its first match on February 10, but preparations are yet to begin at the venue.

“Even for the T20 Delhi Premier League, preparations start much in advance. No DDCA apex council meeting has been held regarding the World Cup matches, and no tenders have been floated. Although one understands it is an ICC tournament and everything is centralised, there are many things for which the ICC will rely on the DDCA for local advice,” said a source close to the apex council members.