India vs Pakistan: Festivities arrive a day early in Ahmedabad as arch-rivals are set to rewrite history at Narendra Modi Stadium

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India might have begun on a dull note at the Narendra Modi Stadium on October 5 as there were not many takers for the opening game between England and New Zealand.

Despite BCCI's claims, the stands wore a deserted look as they were empty for the most part of the game. The host team not playing the tournament opener was also a dampener and didn't set the right buzz for the coming games.

However, ten days after the England-New Zealand showdown in Ahmedabad the atmosphere in the city is completely different. India and Pakistan - one of the biggest cricket rivals - are in Gujarat's largest city, also the seventh largest urban agglomeration in the country.

IND vs PAK World Cup Match In Ahmedabad

A day prior to the start of the auspicious Shardiya Navratri, the nine-day Hindu festival which culminates with Dussehra, the vibe and buzz in the city is completely different. There's a positive buzz across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar as fans are pouring in from all parts of the country to witness and become a part of history.

Gujarat immerses in the vibrant colours and festive mood with its world-famous Garba dance nights and parties with the onset of Pratipada, the first day of Navratri. However, the festivities arrived in Ahmedabad a day early.

There is a palpable amount of excitement in the city for the match between India and Pakistan in the biggest cricket stadium in the world, which is expected to be packed to its full capacity of 1.36 lakh, making it a spectacle to remember.

ODI World Cup 2023: BCCI lays out red carpet

Who's who of Indian and Pakistan cricket are expected to attend the mother of all battles and perhaps the biggest match of this edition. The PCB and BCCI have been at loggerheads due to delays in the process of issuing visas to Pakistani nationals. But things are expected to change with this game and we might see a trickle of some Pakistan fans and flags amongst a vast sea of India's blue at the venue.

There is also a school of thought which is criticising the cricket diplomacy from India with the neighbouring nation with which it has fought four wars since partition. Voices of criticism on social media over the grand welcome of the Pakistan team, amidst continued border skirmishes in Jammu & Kashmir with the Pakistan Army, are being raised. That section is completely against playing any match against Pakistan in or outside India.

But this is an ICC event and India being the host nation can't say no to playing Pakistan in the ten-team showpiece where every team will play the other at least once. Giving a walkover to Pakistan in the tournament could also prove costly for Rohit Sharma and his team, which aims to end the drought of winning an ICC trophy since 2013.

The red carpets have been rolled out to give a warm and memorable reception to the dignitaries. The vicinity of the stadium is heavily guarded and transformed into a fortress with a record number of security personnel installed in and around the Motera stadium.

Fans are ready, the teams are ready, and so are we for an exciting game of cricket between the two teams who have always re-written history on and off the cricket pitch whenever they've collided on the World Cup stage!