ICC World Cup 2023 | BCCI announces additional sale of 400,00 tickets in response to high demand
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday revealed the addition of a general sale for nearly 4 lakh tickets across all group-stage matches, to take place on September 8. The apex body had recently come under questioning for the limited tickets available in addition to scheduling delays.
The ticket sales for the marquee event had previously taken place in seven phases from August 25 to September 3, split across two stages for non-India and India matches. However, speculation ran rife that only a few seats of the total available had been made accessible for the general public, fuelled by alleged leaks of the official ticketing partner BookMyShow's backend.
The additional tickets will go on sale on the World Cup's official website on September 8 at 8 PM IST.
"The BCCI deeply acknowledges that fans are the heartbeat of the tournament, and their unwavering passion, engagement, and contributions are pivotal to the success of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023," the BCCI said in a statement.
"After discussions with the hosting state associations, the BCCI has announced the release of approximately 400,000 tickets for the highly anticipated tournament. This measure is aimed at accommodating as many passionate cricket fans as possible, ensuring their participation in this historic event," it added.
Previously, the BCCI had also delayed the release of the World Cup schedule for days on end, eventually releasing it less than 100 days before the tournament. To add to the misery, the organizers were forced to make further changes to the slated fixtures thus drawing much ire from the fans who had made or were seeking to make travel arrangements.
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off on October 5 with a repeat of the previous edition's final between England and New Zealand, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.