Are fans really paying 70% tax on IPL 2025 tickets? Viral social media post triggers debate

Social media is buzzing over the high amount of taxes paid on tickets for the Chennai Super Kings versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru (CSK vs RCB) IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) match. The high price for a one-sided match has left many fans frustrated.

Many fans had hoped for another RCB-CSK thriller, but instead, they witnessed a disappointing contest, with the Men in Yellow aka CSK, losing by 50 runs while chasing a target of 197. As a result, RCB finally managed to breach the Chepauk fortress and defeat CSK in their home ground, after a long span of 17 years.

In the aftermath, adding to the frustration, a social media user, Ravi Handa, revealed that people had to pay more than 70% in taxes to watch the game. Handa also shared a photo of his ticket, stating that he had to pay INR 4,000 after taxes, while the original price of the ticket was INR 2,343 only.

“Tax on IPL tickets is more than 70%, A ticket of 2343.75 becomes 4000 post taxes,” a cricket fan named @ravihanda wrote on his 'X' handle).

Check out cricket fan's viral IPL 2025 ticket here:

Ravi Handa@ravihanda

TIL - Tax on IPL tickets is more than 70%. A ticket of 2343.75 becomes 4000 post taxes.

04:11 PM · Mar 28, 2025

6.8K848

Also Read: Should CSK replace MS Dhoni in Playing XI for a stronger middle-order?

ITAT supports BCCI amid tax controversy

While many people on social media are criticising the BCCI, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has backed the board. ITAT stated that payments towards sponsorships and resource mobilisation to run the competition have resulted in increased expenditure from the apex board. However, they emphasized that the core objective of popularising cricket remains intact.

“On the face of it, merely because a sports tournament is structured in such a manner to make it more popular, resulting in more paying sponsorships and greater mobilisation of resources, the basic character of the activity of popularising cricket is not lost,” said ITAT as quoted by the Financial Express.