World Cup 2023: ICC announces names of officials for World Cup final between India and Australia

The much anticipated ODI World Cup 2023 has now come to its last stage and the ICC has announced the officials who will be officiating the marquee event final between India and Australia on November 19.

Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires, with Andy Pycroft as the match umpire. Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney will serve as the third and fourth umpires, respectively.

India and Australia faced off in their World Cup opener at Chepauk, where the hosts secured a 6-wicket victory over the 5-time world champions. The Indian team would be eager to put an end to their ICC trophy drought, as their last triumph was in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Since then, India have made it to the semifinals and finals of various events but have been unable to clinch the title.

In the 2019 edition, India were defeated by the spirited Kiwis in the semifinals, while in the 2015 World Cup semifinal, they suffered a 95-run loss to the Aussies. In this World Cup, India avenged their loss to New Zealand by knocking them out in the semifinals, and now they are determined to seek revenge against Australia for their defeat in 2015. They would be quite eager to deliver a killer blow and secure a spot in the final to win the marquee event of 2023.

Hotel room tariffs for the night of the match have risen to as high as Rs 2 lakh

The final at the Narendra Modi Stadium will feature an air show by the Surya Kiran aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force before the match. Hotel room tariffs in Ahmedabad and airfares to the city have surged due to high demand from people wanting to witness the match. Hotel room tariffs for the night of the match have risen to as high as Rs 2 lakh in top five-star hotels, while other hotels have also increased their rates by five to seven times.