India vs Pakistan World Cup match likely to be rescheduled due to clash with Navratri first day: Reports

India and Pakistan's clash at the 2023 Men's World Cup is likely to be rescheduled due to security concerns, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) scheduled the high-octane group-stage encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15, which is also the first day of the Navaratri festival. The nine-day festival is celebrated in full fervor in Gujarat with massive gatherings for garba in open spaced every night.

Security agencies have advised the BCCI to avoid the clash of two big tourist attractions.

“We are mulling the options that we have and a decision will be taken soon," a BCCI official told the newspaper. "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."

A sudden change won't come without its issues either. Several hotels in the city have been pre-booked at inflated prices since the ICC announced the schedule for the tournament. Transport fares are expected to be much higher than usual as well. More panic bookings and cancellations might follow the change.

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BCCI likely to finalize a new date for India vs Pakistan World Cup match on July 27

The report also said the BCCI will likely finalize the new date for the match on July 27 when secretary Jay Shah has scheduled a meeting for associations of all states hosting the World Cup in New Delhi.

It will be interesting to see whether the board re-schedules the match before the festival or after, especially because the World Cup itinerary doesn't have any gap days till the semi-finals.

The Narendra Modi Stadium will host four other matches, including the England-New Zealand clash on the opening day and the final on November 15 but no other match falls during the Navaratri.