WATCH: Fans throng outside Narendra Modi Stadium hours ahead of showpiece encounter between India and Pakistan in 2023 ODI World Cup

Cricket's biggest spectacle, the 2023 ODI World Cup, kicked off last week. But the entire cricketing fraternity was waiting for Saturday, October 14 for the high-intensity encounter between India and Pakistan. The arch-rivals are set to face off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from 2 p.m. (IST) onwards. An India- Pakistan match is always a crowd-puller and this time the hype is much higher. 

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Ahead of the blockbuster clash, the Indian Cricket Board will host a grand musical event at the world's largest cricket stadium from 12:30 p.m. This means fans will be allowed to enter the venue at least four hours earlier. However, as expected, a sea of ​​fans was seen outside the stadium hours before the ceremony. A large group of supporters wearing blue jerseys, holding the tricolour Indian flag and chanting the name of their favourite stars shows the madness of this game. 

Watch the videos below: 

Sea of Indian fans at Narendra Modi Stadium.

- Madness.....!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/hOq9J5BftC

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 14, 2023

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Fans roaring "Kohli, Kohli" outside the Narendra Modi Stadium.

- The face of world cricket. pic.twitter.com/l7t23QWiEL

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 14, 2023

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The pre-match show titled 'Musical Odyssey' will be performed by three of India's finest artists - Arijit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, and Shankar Mahadevan. Reportedly, singers like Neha Kakkar and Darshan Raval will be performing during the first innings break. Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, and legendary actors Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan – Golden Ticket holders – will be also present for the musical event and for the match. 

India and Pakistan have not faced each other in a bilateral series for years due to geopolitical tensions. For the same reasons, a clash between them in any major tournament invites massive crowds. Both teams are coming on the back of two straight wins, but India will have the upper hand due to their home advantage and ODI World Cup record against the Men in Green. 

Pakistan vs India Probable XIs:

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur/Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj