It is set to be a big year in cricket, with lots of major domestic and international events to look forward to. Here is a look through the calendar for the competitions and series to put into your diary.
2023 SA20 (January-February)
The inaugural SA20 tournament has launched in South Africa. The event is likely to be followed closely around the world, particularly in India, as the franchises are owned by the same owners as the IPL.
π Well played, @josbuttler!
The England white-ball captain has flown past 9β£,0β£0β£0β£ T20 runs today.
π§’ 3β£4β£0β£ appearances
π 3β£4β£.3β£ average
π 6β£7β£ scores above 50The second Englishman to hit the milestone! pic.twitter.com/1Xl7FYZCIv
— PCA (@PCA) January 17, 2023
The early stages of the T20 competition suggest this new league is going to be a huge success. Players such as Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, and Sam Curran are involved as international players, which says a lot about the appeal of the new tournament.
As of January 17, MI, Cape Town is the +188 favorite in the SA20 bettingΒ to lift the trophy in the opening year. They have got off to a great start and have a fantastic chance of reaching the knockout stages of the competition in February.
2023 IPL (March 25-May 28)
The 2022 IPL tournament saw two new teams enter the league. They both made a big impact, with the Gujarat Titans winning the trophy in their first year under Hardik Pandyaβs captaincy, as reported byΒ the BBC.
Expect another exciting season in 2023. TheΒ IPL Auction was carried out, and it was England international Curran who was the most expensive player. He was purchased by the Punjab Kings, becoming the most expensive player in the history of the IPL.
The opening game of the 2023 IPL season takes place on March 25, with the final scheduled two months later for May 28.
World Test Championship (June)
The final of the World Test Championship takes place at the Oval in London in June. As of January 17, Australia and India fill the top two spaces in the standings, respectively. If the table remains that way, it should be an exciting final between two of the leading teams in the ICC standings.
THEY'VE DONE IT! Ross Taylor hits the winnings runs and the BLACKCAPS win the ICC World Test Championship FINAL by eight wickets over India at the Hampshire Bowl. New Zealand's ultimate duo do it in the ultimate Test! #WTC21 #BACKTHEBLACKCAPS pic.twitter.com/hUmEi3fB9v
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 23, 2021
India was beaten by New Zealand in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021, with the full details in the Daily Mail match report. Rohit Sharmaβs side will be hoping to go one place better this time around and prove India can be a big force in red-ball cricket.
Ashes (June 20-July 31)
England and Australia resume their rivalry this June in the Ashes. This series is followed around the world. Both teams come into this series in great form. Since Ben Stokes took over as captain in 2022, England has won nine of their 11 Test matches, with series wins coming over New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan.
The ECB has a tough decision to make over their selection for that series, but veteran bowlers Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson are expected to be included. They have a lot of experience playing Ashes cricket.
Not only is Australia top of the World Test Championship standings, but they are also in first place in the ICC Test rankings. They did their position in the standings no harm with a comprehensive home series victory over South Africa recently, prevailing 2-0 in three-match series.
The opening Ashes Test takes place between June 16-20 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. It is going to be a close series and one which could go right down the wire.
2023 Cricket World Cup (October-November)
India will play host to the 2023 Cricket World Cup at the back end of the year. The biggest international tournament in cricket begins in October and runs through to November. TheΒ Super LeagueΒ will determine which teams join India at that tournament.
England goes into the Cricket World Cup as the defending champions. They lifted the trophy for the first time when they beat New Zealand in a thrilling final in front of their home fans at Lordβs in 2019. They have since won the T20 World Cup, completing an impressive double.
India will be hoping to replicate what England did four years ago by winning on home soil. It is the first time they are the sole hosts of this event. They have until October to work out what their best XI is in 50 overs cricket. It could be the last big tournament that their star man Virat Kohli will play in. He has scored over 22,000Β ICC runsΒ in his career. He will want to finish on a high.
Expect to see fireworks at all five of the above events in what is going to be a huge 12 months for the sport around the world.
