File Pic: Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan (R) speaks to Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill of India (Getty Images)
The October 10 India-Pakistan group-stage clash in Johannesburg has attracted more than 110,000 ticket applications, making it the most sought-after fixture of the tournament so far. The India-South Africa fixture has already received more than 92,000 applications, while India’s meeting with Australia has attracted over 86,000. India will open their campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7, before facing Pakistan three days later in Johannesburg. India’s popularity is further underlined by the demand for the pre-seeded Super 7 fixture against Pakistan on November 7. That match has already received almost 78,000 applications, making it the fourth most sought-after fixture at this stage. The November 21 final has also attracted close to 69,000 applications, highlighting the appetite for the tournament’s biggest matches even before the group stage begins. The 2027 tournament will mark the return of a major ICC men’s event to Africa after two decades, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia sharing hosting duties. The competition begins with the three-team Super Series in Namibia on October 2, before the group stage gets underway on October 7. The final is scheduled for Johannesburg on November 21.
The two sides are in Group A alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. But the demand is not limited to the traditional India-Pakistan rivalry. The South Africa fixture is also among the most anticipated matches of the tournament, giving the hosts a major attraction against one of the sport’s biggest fan bases.
That means India’s first three major group-stage fixtures occupy the top three spots in terms of ticket demand, underlining the enormous following for Shubman Gill ‘s side even before the tournament gets underway.