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MUMBAI, India — For Indian cricket fans visiting Sri Lanka this weekend, the chance to watch their team take on arch-rival Pakistan in the T20 World Cup comes at the cost of soaring airfares, soaring hotel costs and long waits for match-day tickets.
But these are just the sacrifices thousands of people are willing to make to witness sports’ most heated rivalry unfold at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.
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Fueled by decades of political ties, cricket showdowns between India and Pakistan are some of the sport’s biggest spectacles and are often treated as bloodthirsty bouts of national pride.
For the first time in World Cup history, geopolitical tensions threatened to jeopardize the holding of the marquee contest until the Pakistani government lifted its order to boycott the match.
The near-last-minute U-turn reignited excitement, but it also came at a cost for Indian supporters who had made late travel plans. Pakistan’s participation was confirmed just six days before the match, sending airfares from several Indian cities soaring.
Demand for the India vs. Pakistan match, generally considered the most lucrative match in cricket, was so high that fans who booked their flights weeks in advance also paid significantly higher fares.
Aditya Chheda, a financial expert from Mumbai, told Al Jazeera: “We paid a premium of about 50% compared to the normal interest rate.” “This happened even though I booked a month in advance and chose a connecting flight instead of a direct flight.”
Airline ticket and hotel prices are rising
A nonstop round-trip flight from Mumbai to Colombo, a large city in western India, usually costs about $275, but two days before the game, the price rose to more than $1,000.
Similar fares were found for direct flights from Bengaluru in southern India, while nonstop round-trip flights from Chennai to Colombo (which takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes) soared to at least $550, up from the standard fare of $165.
Bangalore resident Parth Chauhan was able to secure a good deal because he had planned ahead, but his friends who were accompanying him to Colombo had to pay a hefty premium, three times the normal price, because they had booked close to match day.
Accommodation costs have also increased significantly. Rates at five-star hotels in Colombo ranged from $400 to $1,000 per night from Saturday to Monday, when most spectators are expected to fly in and out.
Chauhan, who works for a cybersecurity organization, had to wait a whopping four hours in a virtual queue to buy match tickets, but insists the hassle was worth the wait as he prepares to watch an India match abroad for the first time.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm to witness this because it’s a great moment and it’s a historic event,” he said.
For the lucky few, the surprise lay not in the difficulty of securing tickets, but in their unusually low prices. Piyush Natani, an IT professional from Bengaluru, paid just $5 for the equipment, which generates millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsorship and advertising revenue.
“This is the cheapest ticket I’ve ever bought. You can watch a World Cup match for just $5, and again, something as big as India vs Pakistan is a steal,” said Nathani, who was traveling with a group of six friends.
“It’s more than a cricket match”
Natani, who was part of the crowd in Ahmedabad where India defeated Pakistan in a 50-over World Cup group match in 2023, is relishing the opportunity to watch Sunday’s match at a neutral venue with fans from both countries watching.
“Money can’t buy the emotion of winning against Pakistan,” the 29-year-old added.
Like Natani, Chheda has also traveled abroad to watch the Indian team. The 32-year-old was in Barbados to watch India host the 2024 T20 World Cup and now wants to “pick up where we left off”.
“When the World Cup comes around, the first thing Indian fans want is to beat Pakistan,” he added.
“Winning the World Cup is the biggest goal, but beating Pakistan feels like a spiritual victory. It’s more than just a match of cricket.”
