Tickets for the crowd-pulling India vs Pakistan fixture of the ICC Champions Trophy got sold out in a flash on Monday, with many left waiting online for their turn.
India will take on Pakistan on February 23 in their group game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India will play all their matches — including the semifinal and final if they qualify.
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The tournament hosted by Pakistan turned hybrid after an agreement between the Pakistan Cricket Board, International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, following the Indian team’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
The maddening demand for tickets left both local residents and fans from across the globe astounded.
“I anticipated a long queue, but the speed at which tickets vanished was shocking. By the time I secured my place, only two categories remained, both beyond my budget,” the IANS quoted Sudhashree, a Dubai resident.
Cricket enthusiasts queued up online for almost an hour, but discovered that tickets across most categories were unavailable for the India vs Pakistan match, including the premium Dirham 2,000 Platinum and Dirham 5,000 Grand Lounge options.
The eight-team tournament will be played from February 19 to March 9 and include 15 matches across venues in Pakistan and Dubai. Stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi will host matches in Pakistan.
Besides India and Pakistan, Group A includes Bangladesh and New Zealand. Group B consists of Afghanistan, England, Australia and South Africa.
The opening match of the tournament will see hosts and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi.
Pakistan won the Champions Trophy when it was last hosted in 2017, beating India in the final.