KARACHI:
The Indian cricket board has confirmed the release of 14,000 tickets for eager fans ahead of the highly-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup. Scheduled for this coming weekend, the group-stage showdown between these arch-rivals will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14. Pakistan’s cricket team is set to travel to Ahmedabad from Hyderabad, where they are facing Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
The tickets for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 matches were quickly snapped up when they became available on August 25, leaving many fans disappointed due to the high demand and limited availability.
Keeping in view a huge demand for tickets that persisted, the ICC and India’s cricket governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have chosen to release additional tickets. “BCCI set to release 14,000 tickets for India vs Pakistan league match on October 14, 2023,” it tweeted on X.
Ahead of the match, concerns have also arisen following a terrorist threat sent to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), targeting the Modi Stadium. The threat, conveyed through an email from a terrorist group, demanded Indian Rs5 billion and the release of jailed gangster Ravi Bishnoi.
The Mumbai police had traced the origin of the email to Europe, and authorities were taking the threat seriously, according to reports. In view of the threat, security measures for the World Cup games would be reassessed and enhanced if deemed necessary.
The World Cup commenced on October 5, featuring the opening match between England and New Zealand held at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Babar Azam’s team kicked off their tournament with a convincing 81-run victory against the Netherlands on Friday. Now, they have their sights set on securing a place in the top four to secure a spot in the semi-finals.