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Almost 8.4m ticket requests for India-Pakistan World Cup tie
Nearly 8.4 million ticket requests have been made for next year’s Cricket World Cup group match between India and Pakistan, far exceeding the 34,000 seats at Johannesburg’s Wanderers stadium. The demand reflects the fixture’s status as one of cricket’s most anticipated and financially lucrative, despite India’s recent dominance.
The match is scheduled for 10 October, with the tournament co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 7 October. The Wanderers will also host the final on 21 November, attracting almost eight million ticket applications. India have won their past nine meetings with Pakistan; Pakistan’s last victory was in the 2022 Asia Cup.
In short
- India-Pakistan drew nearly 8.4 million ticket requests.
- The Johannesburg venue holds 34,000 spectators.
- India have won the rivals’ past nine meetings.
Explained simply
India and Pakistan are two of international cricket’s biggest rivals, and matches between them often attract a large audience. Their encounters are relatively rare, as political tensions between the countries have limited regular bilateral cricket.
The Cricket World Cup is a tournament between national teams, with group matches played before the later stages. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are co-hosting next year’s event, and Johannesburg’s Wanderers stadium is one of its venues.