T20 World Cup: Hours in, tickets for Pakistan-India game sold out

Tickets for the third match of the T20 World Cup 2021 Super12 round between Pakistan and India have been sold out, barely a few hours after being put up for sale.

The most-anticipated encounter between the arch-rivals is scheduled for October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, which has a capacity of 25,000 spectators.

Earlier reports suggested that the entire World Cup could be played either behind closed doors or with only up to 25 per cent crowd presence due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC), after approval from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government, allowed 70 per cent capacity.

UAE stadiums to be at 70% capacity for T20 World Cup

The ticketing website Platinumlist was flocked with fans as soon as the ICC announced the sale on Sunday. As a result, around 18,500 tickets of all seating enclosures, including General, General East, Premium, Pavilion East, and Platinum, were sold out in just a couple of hours.

The premium ticket was sold for 1,500 Dh (nearly Rs70,000) while the platinum tickets were being sold for 2,600 Dh (nearly Rs120,000). By Monday morning, both these ticket classifications were unavailable on the website.

Similarly, the game between Pakistan and New Zealand was also sold out within hours of the sale. The match has garnered hype in recent days after New Zealand abandoned their first tour to Pakistan in 18 years on the day of the first One-Day International, citing a "security alert".