Additional Tickets Released Ahead Of India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Cricket Frenzy In New York

The T20 World Cup blockbuster between rivals India and Pakistan, arguably the most hyped match in cricket history, is only days away and will be played amid a frenzy in New York.

Additional tickets have been made available for the June 9 day-time fixture, which was almost instantly a sell-out when the initial allocation of tickets were released in February.

But tournament organizers on Tuesday morning announced general admission tickets were available to matches previously exhausted, including India-Pakistan.

By late Tuesday the general admission tickets, starting at $300, had been gobbled up. Tickets on Stub Hub were reselling for over $600 – a figure that has come down considerably after recently being put up for exorbitant prices of more than $2000.

Hospitality tickets are available, but are fetching between $2500-$10,000.

There were general admission tickets costing $300 available for India’s tournament opener against Ireland in New York on Wednesday.

It is a far cry from some of the cheap tickets available for matches in the Caribbean, where the bulk of the T20 World Cup will be played.

Tickets start at $6 for some low-key matches, while powerhouse Australia’s opener against Oman in Barbados have general admission tickets selling for $25.

The India-Pakistan match has predictably been the hottest ticket of the tournament after being oversubscribed more than 200 times the allocation in the public ballot. Tickets at the time cost between $175-$400.

It is a match that is set to attract all the heavy hitters in the sport in what will be clearly the biggest moment for cricket in its coveted targeted market of the U.S.

It was quite strategic for authorities to fixture this blockbuster in New York – the city where all eyes are focused on even though Dallas and Lauderhill, Florida, are also hosting tournament matches.

Anticipation is always high for India and Pakistan, who rarely play each other on the cricket field due to political differences. Thus tournament organizers milk the money-spinning contest which has been watched previously by a viewership of 300-500 million.

Thus, magically, the teams are always drawn together in major tournaments and the sheen of New York proved irresistible on this occasion. Romanticism aside, the match is crucial financially.

As I first reported, the 34,000-seat modular cricket stadium in Long Island cost around $30 million for T20 Incorporated, the entity established in the U.S. to deliver the event.

Officials are confident the investment can be recouped through ticketing and hospitality – mostly through the India-Pakistan fixture which is expected to generate around $15 million at the gate.

India, cricket’s undisputed powerhouse and title favorite, plays three of their four group games in New York before the tournament entirely shifts to the Caribbean.

After a tight four-month timeframe to construct the Nassau County Stadium in Eisenhower Park, 30 miles east of Manhattan, the pitch and outfield has come under scrutiny after Sri Lanka were routed for a measly 77 against South Africa on Monday.

The drop-in pitch, a far cry from the batting paradise experienced in the recent Indian Premier League, was marked by inconsistent bounce and little turn. The outfield was heavy as the ball repeatedly stopped to a halt instead of rocketing to the boundary as is normally seen in the fast paced T20 format.

But those woes won’t matter because the India and Pakistan mega match will save the day and provide a type of feverish spectacle that has never hit New York before.

It will be a grand occasion that those lucky – or wealthy enough – to have a ticket will never forget.