Record demand: ICC gets over 3 million T20 WC ticket applications, India vs Pakistan oversubscribed 200 times
Despite the ongoing construction of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium located on Long Island, boasting a capacity of 34,000 seats, tickets for the June 9 cricket showdown between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 are already completely sold out.
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FollowThe upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 games slated for June in the United States are witnessing an unprecedented surge in ticket demand. Particularly, the India vs Pakistan match scheduled in New York has garnered exceptional interest, with a staggering 200-fold increase in ticket requests compared to availability.
"During the ballot period, over 3 million ticket applications from over 161 countries were received for the pinnacle global event for T20 cricket. Ticket allocations are currently unavailable to nine T20 World Cup matches scheduled in the USA, with the India v Pakistan fixture on 9 June in New York oversubscribed more than 200 times," said the ICC in a release on Friday.
Despite the ongoing construction of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium located on Long Island, boasting a capacity of 34,000 seats, tickets for the June 9 cricket showdown are reportedly completely sold out. Co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, this marks the inaugural international cricket tournament to grace American shores.
A total of 16 games will be spread across various venues in the US, including matches set to be held in Lauderhill, South Florida, and the Grand Prairie Stadium vicinity near Dallas.
"We had amazing ticket interest. The ballot process showed there's a really big demand," T20 World Cup USA, Inc. chief executive Brett Jones told AFP.
"India-Pakistan is obviously a game that at every World Cup carries great interest. I think it's really pleasing to see those two countries come to the USA," he added.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to play their group matches in the USA, drawing significant interest from the sizable populations of their expatriates residing there. Organizers aim to expand the sport's appeal to American audiences, recognizing that many immigrants already have a fondness for cricket. They plan to specifically cater to these existing fans while also strategizing ways to attract and engage broader American audiences.
"I think, number one, we want to celebrate those that are already fanatical lovers of cricket. They deserve to see the best players in the world come into their backyard and have that chance," said Jones.
"So, number one, we want to make sure that happens and they get to feel like they're close to a game they love. Number two, I think it's about spiking curiosity in the game," he said.
While Americans have historically favored baseball over cricket, the game, particularly the T20 format, is poised to receive significant exposure in the US on a grand scale. Additionally, cricket will feature prominently in the Los Angeles Olympics in four years, providing an even broader platform for the sport to capture the attention of American audiences.
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