T20 World Cup organizing committee sheds light on the 'unprecedented demand' for India-Pakistan clash
India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries on the cricket field. Lately, the lack of bilateral contests between the neighboring nations due to political tensions has rendered matches possible only at ICC events.
The Asia Cup, Champions Trophy, and the World Cup continue to provide avenues where these two nations can still play against each other in neutral territories.
After being drawn in the same group for the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup, the high-octane clash will take place at a venue worthy of the scale of the rivalry, in the form of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
India vs Pakistan match in T20 WC 2022 is likely to have more than 90,000 fans in MCG. (Source - The Age)
Known for its mind-boggling seating capacity, tickets at the MCG were sold out within five minutes of them going on sale in February earlier this year.
Fans, however, will have a final chance to relish the contest live as a small section of standing room tickets will be available for purchase later on Thursday (August 25).
Speaking about the high-demand for tickets, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organizing Committee CEO Michelle Enright told The Age:
“One of our key priorities is to ensure as many people as possible can be part of a home World Cup. Fans in the Indian and Pakistan community have an incredible passion for cricket and this fixture will be a wonderful opportunity for them to come together and celebrate their culture."
She added:
“The MCG is one of the biggest stadiums in the world and while we still will not be able to accommodate everyone at this fixture due to the unprecedented demand, we do encourage fans who miss out to attend other matches where tickets are still available."
India and Pakistan could face each other a total of five times in the span of 10 weeks. The two nations are drawn in the same group in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 as well and will square off against each other on August 28 in Dubai.
ICC to release over 4000 standing tickets for India-Pakistan clash
While the majority of the tickets for the highly-anticipated encounter in Australia have already been sold out, there is still a final fraction of tickets available. The remaining 4000 tickets will reportedly cost AU $30 and are for standing room only. The ICC stated:
"The ticket release ensures that as many fans as possible can attend the fixture scheduled to be played on Sunday 23 October. A limited number of packages also remain available for purchase via the ICC Hospitality and ICC Travel & Tours programmes."
The India-Pakistan @T20WorldCup game at the MCG on October 23 initially sold out within five minutes.
About 4000 standing room tickets were today released and have been snapped up.
Nearly 30,000 fans remain on the waitlist 😅
India are scheduled to face Pakistan in a group stage encounter at the T20 World Cup on October 23.
Who will win the clash between the arch-rivals at the MCG? Let us know what you think.