JOHANNESBURG – Nearly 8.4 million ticket applications have been received for the Pakistan-India clash at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, exceeding demand for the tournament final, according to figures released by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The ICC said fans from 193 countries had registered for tickets, while total applications for matches across the tournament had surpassed 120 million.
The group-stage match between Pakistan and India is scheduled for October 10, 2027, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The ICC received 8,397,294 ticket applications for the fixture, compared with 7,900,944 for the final scheduled for November 21. This highlights an exceptional demand for the contest between the two arch-rivals.
However, the figures represent ticket applications rather than confirmed purchases, meaning the match has not necessarily sold out.
Zimbabwe’s group-stage match against India, scheduled for October 24, also attracted more than 3.3 million applications, while England’s match against Bangladesh on October 8 received nearly 900,000 requests.
Strong demand for host nation’s matches
Demand for South Africa’s matches was also substantial, with nearly 26 million applications recorded across the host nation’s 11 fixtures.
The figures reflect strong interest in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027. The event will feature 14 teams.
Pakistan and India have been placed in Group A alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A. Group B comprises New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B.
The high number of applications reflects demand for tickets, but does not mean that all tickets have been sold. The registration process allows fans to apply for tickets, with demand exceeding available stadium capacity for some matches.
