India opens 2027 ODI World Cup against Australia

The International Cricket Council has announced the schedule for the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, with India set to open its campaign against defending champion Australia in Cape Town on October 7 before playing Pakistan in Johannesburg three days later. The tournament is scheduled to run from October 2 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The India-Australia match is also listed as the first fixture of the group stage, following a preliminary Super Series. India is placed in Group A with Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a team to emerge from the qualification process. The India-Pakistan group match is scheduled for October 10 in Johannesburg. India’s other group-stage fixtures listed in the schedule are against Afghanistan in Tshwane on October 14, a qualifier in Bloemfontein on October 17 and co-host Zimbabwe in Victoria Falls on October 24. The team will need to progress from the group stage to meet either side again later in the tournament; the published schedule includes a potential India-Pakistan match in the Super 7 stage, but that fixture depends on qualification and the teams’ seedings.