India-Pakistan World T20 tie sees massive ticket demand

The India–Pakistan cricket rivalry is one of the most intense sports rivalries in the world. The arch-rival relations between the two nations, resulting from the extensive communal violence and conflict that marked the Partition of British India into India and Pakistan in 1947 and the subsequent Kashmir conflict laid the foundations for the emergence of an intense sporting rivalry between the two nations who had erstwhile shared a common cricketing heritage.

The online sale of tickets for the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash in the World T20 to be played in Dharamsala on March 19 has received an overwhelming 138101 registrations in just two days, claimed HPCA on Saturday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced the sale of tickets through a unique lottery system for highly sought after matches, including India versus Pakistan. Out of the total registrations over the span of two days, 115681 were registered on day one itself.

With intent to ensure a fair opportunity and equal distribution of tickets amongst all cricket enthusiasts, the fans were required to register. An online registration form indicating their preferred match would enrol them automatically into a draw. Winners would be chosen randomly and will receive a payment link in order to complete their booking.

The window to register has been initiated February 25 onwards, with a window of seven days only ending on March 2. To ensure maximum people get to watch the game, not more than 2 tickets per person can be purchased for any of the India matches, or either of the semi-finals or the final.

The match has also been in the news for other reasons. After Congress MLAs and sitting cabinet ministers openly asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to stop the match, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur now faces trouble from veteran BJP leader and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar.  He feared that holding the match at Dharamshala close on the heels of martyrdom of two gallant soldiers – Sanjeevan Rana and Jagdish Chand –who laid down their lives fighting Pakistan militants at Pathankot airbase attack, can create a serious law and order situation, apart from hurting the sentiments of the families living barely few meters away from the stadium.

Known for taking a stand on the party and other issues, Shanta Kumar on Saturday dashed off a strong-worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting that the match should not be allowed at Dharamshala, headquarter of Kangra district – a home to hundreds of valiant jawans, martyrs and ex-servicemen.