In a spectacular first appearance, the world governing body of cricket kicked off its World Cup trophy tour by launching the coveted trophy into the stratosphere, 1,20,000 feet above the earth before making a stunning landing at Narendra Modi cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

This was achieved after the trophy was mounted on a bespoke stratospheric balloon, and some great photos were taken of the trophy sitting at the edge of earth’s atmosphere from a 4k camera.

The 2023 edition of the Trophy Tour will be the biggest yet, giving fans the chance to connect with trophies in countries and cities around the world. From June 27, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy will travel to 18 countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, USA, Nigeria, Uganda, France, Italy , the United States and host country India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a press release.

Through innovative activations and events in various countries, the Trophy Tour will give one million fans the opportunity to personally interact with the trophy.

This #CWC23 trophy in space

The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Tour is HERE https://t.co/UiuH0XAg1J pic.twitter.com/48tMi6cuHh—ICC (@ICC) June 26, 2023

The Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium will host the ODI Match Final, which the country will stage later this year.

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,” said the manager. General of the ICC, Geoff Allardice.

“This tour will see the iconic silverware meet Heads of State, launch community initiatives and support cricket development programs in addition to visiting some of the world’s most iconic sites.

Cricket has over a billion fans and we want to give as many people as possible the chance to get closer to this famous trophy which has been held by some of our sport’s greatest legends.” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah , added: “Cricket unites India like no other sport and excitement is building across the country as we prepare to host 10 of the best teams in the world for six exciting weeks of cricket.

“As we rely on the World Cup, the Trophy Tour is a fantastic opportunity for fans to be part of the event wherever they are. The tour will travel extensively across India and seek to inspire the community to share the joys of cricket’s greatest spectacle, while providing the opportunity to showcase iconic locations, cities and landmarks across the country.” The trophy tour will kick off June 27 in India, tour the world and then return to the host country on September 4.