Locals go crazy over non-availability of tickets

Colombo, Feb. 15 (Daily Mirror) - With the much-anticipated India–Pakistan clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 taking place today, many Sri Lankan cricket fans say they have struggled to secure tickets, as availability remained extremely limited and prices soared in the secondary market.

When the Daily Mirror met several local fans in Colombo, many expressed frustration over the non-availability of tickets despite repeated attempts to purchase them through official channels.

“I have been checking the ICC website daily, but there are no tickets available. It’s disappointing because this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch India vs Pakistan live in Sri Lanka,” said Mahamed Slimy said.

Vimukthi Perera said the few tickets circulating in unofficial channels are being sold at unaffordable prices, which is really unfair.

“We heard tickets are being sold for nearly Rs. 100,000. That’s far beyond what ordinary fans can afford. It feels like genuine supporters are being left out,” Kavindu Fernando said.

Further, Kevin Giolio said “I have been waiting for this since the beginning of the tournament. However, when I learnt that tickets are hardly available, I left with no option other than going to see the match without a ticket,”

Tickets for the high-profile encounter scheduled for Sunday, today (15), at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium have reportedly been traded at prices as high as Rs. 100,000 (approximately INR 28,000).

According to sources, limited official availability and overwhelming demand have fuelled a thriving secondary market.

There have also been claims that many tickets were sold during the early registration phase, with only a very limited number expected to be released on the ICC website this week. However, the ICC has remained vague about the exact number of tickets available.

Meanwhile, hotel bookings in Colombo have increased drastically following confirmation of the high-profile encounter, sources revealed.

Several hotels in and around the city have almost neared full occupancy with room rates also rising sharply due to the surge in demand.

The excitement follows Pakistan’s earlier decision to boycott the match citing geopolitical tensions, a move that was later reversed following government intervention and diplomatic discussions. Pakistan has since confirmed its participation in the February 15 encounter in Colombo.