Champions Trophy 2017 final: Rolling as expected by the ICC

After a decade, the fans will witness the most anticipated match of the year as the two cricketing heavyweights India and Pakistan take on each other at The Oval on Sunday (18th June) for one final time in Champions Trophy 2017. India and Pakistan have made their way through to the finals after beating top quality sides in the world.

Though, many expected India to be a contender for the finals, not many expected Pakistan to reach there. Whenever these two nations play each other, the excitement touches the highest echelon for not only the populous for these two countries but for the whole world. The same is happening for this awaited clash at The Oval.

Tickets being sold at 15 times their face value

If the reports are to be believed, the tickets are being sold at 15 times their face value for Indo-Pak clash. People are trying their best to witness it live from the stadium.

Fans who bought their tickets for finals a month ago have been selling tickets through site such as Viagogo and Stub Hub that allow buyers to accept the highest bid, with one pair of tickets on sale for £2,000. In another instance, a fan who originally paid £140 for a pair had received an offer for £1,100.

However, this is against the terms and conditions mentioned on ICC’s official website.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) though resold a total of 6,000 semi-final tickets through official channels have the right to cancel the tickets which are sold at profit.

ICC expects record-breaking viewership

The last year’s clash between India and Pakistan at the World Cup T20 tuned more than 83 million viewers which was recorded as the most viewed match after T20 World Cup final in 2007. ICC officials are expecting that this encounter will break all past records.

Both teams look confident before the final

At the post-match presentation, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said that he will not take anything for granted.

He said, “We’ve seen some really surprising results, and it’s been amazing for the fans to watch and for the players to be a part of. We’re not going to take anything for granted, for sure.”

On the other hand, Pakistan team’s bowling coach, Azhar Mahmood spoke firmly and is really confident that his team will lift the title.

He said, “We are the most unpredictable team in the world and we’ve got a huge following. We are here to win it.”

“It wouldn’t be a shock if we won. No one gave us a hope when we got here. We were the No 8 ranked side, and no one gave us any credit. But someone asked me before the tournament who would be in the final and I said Pakistan,” Mahmood concluded.