Of the 48 matches among 10 countries across 10 venues during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 that began on October 5, the India-Pakistan clash is the most high-profile. Scheduled for October 14, at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad with 1,30,000 seats, the contest between the two neighbouring countries spills from sport into politics, putting security on high alert.
The city will see over 1,000 police personnel deployed around the venue and places where players, top officials of the ICC and BCCI, and other VIPs will stay. They will also manage crowds and traffic. Battalions from the Central forces, like the Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force, and State Reserve Police Force, will also be deployed.
On Monday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a meeting in Gandhinagar to review the preparations and security measures. Last month Ahmedabad’s cybercrime branch had lodged an FIR against Canada-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistan separatist leader designated as a terrorist in India, who threatened attacks on the city during the match.
