Ahead of the India vs New Zealand Cricket World Cup semi-final, there were reports that the pitch for the game at the Wankhede Stadium was changed at the last moment. The reports alleged that though a fresh strip was prepared for the Cricket World Cup semi-final, the match finally took place on an 'used surface'. After Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami guided India to the Cricket World Cup 2023 final with a win over New Zealand, legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar fumed over the rumours and rubbished any such suggestions. The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement regarding the entire incident.