ODI World Cup 2023: BCCI and ICC's staggered ticket sale strategy balances demand and accessibility

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), have chosen to implement a phased release of tickets for the tournament. In this strategy, tickets for matches not involving the Indian team will be made available before those for India's matches. The rationale behind this approach is rooted in concerns that the ticketing website might encounter technical issues if it simultaneously handles the demand for tickets across all games. This potential problem primarily arises from the exceptionally high demand for tickets to India's matches.

This scenario is reminiscent of a previous occurrence. In the preceding edition of the 50-over World Cup held in England in 2019, the demand for tickets to India's matches was so overwhelming that technical glitches caused the website to crash. The substantial influx of fans trying to access the website resulted in its malfunctioning.

A source familiar with the matter explained, "The staggered sale strategy has been designed to effectively manage the anticipated surge in demand. It represents the most efficient way to oversee the system and ensure fans' satisfaction."

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In a recent statement, the ICC clarified that the intention behind this phased approach is to cater to the expected high demand for tickets and to provide a fair opportunity to as many fans as possible to witness the world's top cricket players in action. The ticket sales will occur in multiple phases.

For the Indian team's matches, tickets for the games against Australia in Chennai (scheduled for October 8), Afghanistan in Delhi (scheduled for October 11), and Bangladesh in Pune (scheduled for October 19) will be released on August 31, preceding the complete availability of tickets for matches not involving India. Among the remaining six matches involving India, tickets for the New Zealand game in Dharamsala (scheduled for October 22), the England match in Lucknow (scheduled for October 29), and the Sri Lanka match in Mumbai (scheduled for November 2) will be accessible from September 2.

Tickets for matches against South Africa in Kolkata (scheduled for November) and the Netherlands in Bengaluru (scheduled for November) will also be offered on September 2. Lastly, tickets for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash in Ahmedabad on October 14 will go on sale on September 3. Fans are encouraged to begin registering for tickets starting from August 15.

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Timeline for the ticket sale:

August 25: Non-India warm-up matches and all non-India event matches

August 30: India matches at Guwahati and Trivandrum

August 31: India matches at Chennai, Delhi, and Pune

September 1: India matches at Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Mumbai

September 2: India matches at Bengaluru, Kolkata

September 3: India match at Ahmedabad

September 15: Semifinals and Final