Ahmedabad: The trophy of the Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted by India later this year, has been launched. On Monday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) sent the trophy into space, marking the beginning of its world tour. After reaching an impressive altitude of 120,000 feet, the trophy descended and landed at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

With the assistance of America’s private space agency, ‘Sent Into Space’, the ICC launched the trophy into the stratosphere using a balloon. Reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet above the Earth’s surface, the trophy embarked on its journey. Captivating footage captured by 4K cameras showcased the trophy in the stratosphere, the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere.

The World Cup trophy will visit over 40 cities in 18 countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, the USA, Nigeria, Uganda, France, Italy, and India, starting on June 27 and concluding on September 4.

The unveiling of the ODI World Cup trophy for this year’s event in India was carried out in a distinctive manner by the BCCI. Board Secretary Jay Shah shared a video on Twitter, revealing the trophy’s journey into space. The trophy ultimately landed at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The video showcased the extraordinary moment when the first-ever Cricket World Cup trophy was sent into space and unveiled.

An out-of-this-world moment for the cricketing world as the #CWC23 trophy unveiled in space. Marks a milestone of being one of the first official sporting trophies to be sent to space. Indeed a galactic start for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour in India. @BCCI @ICC… pic.twitter.com/wNZU6ByRI5

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 26, 2023

On the launch of the Trophy Tour, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said, “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour is an important milestone in the countdown to what will be the biggest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup ever. This Tour will see the iconic silverware meet heads of states, launch community initiatives and support cricket development programmes in addition to visiting some of the most iconic landmarks around the globe.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah added, “Cricket unites India like no other sport and excitement is building across the country as we prepare to host the 10 best teams in the world over six weeks of heart-stopping cricket.”

Full schedule of the Trophy Tour: 

27 June – 14 July: India

15 – 16 July: New Zealand

17 – 18 July: Australia

19 – 21 July: Papua New Guinea

22 – 24 July: India

25 – 27 July: USA

28 – 30 July: West Indies

31 July – 4 August: Pakistan

5 – 6 August: Sri Lanka

7 – 9 August: Bangladesh

10 – 11 August: Kuwait

12 – 13 August: Bahrain

14 – 15 August: India

16 – 18 August: Italy

19 – 20 August: France

21 – 24 August: England

25 – 26 August: Malaysia

27 – 28 August: Uganda

29 – 30 August: Nigeria

31 August – 3 September: South Africa

From 4 September: India