Ahead of India vs South Africa 1st T20I, chaotic scenes hit Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium as fans rushed for limited offline tickets. Poor crowd management led to frustration, with social media users slamming the Odisha Cricket Association.
Following the conclusion of the ongoing ODI series, Team India will playSouth Africa in the T20I series, with the opening match taking place at Barabati Cricket Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack on December 9. The ongoing ODI series between India and South Africa will conclude after the third match at the Dr YS Rajashekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium in Vishakapatnam.
Team India suffered a Test series whitewash at the hands of South Africa, and the ongoing ODI series is currently levelled at 1–1 after the Proteas won the second match in Raipur. The Men in Blue, led by stand-in skipper KL Rahul, will finish the ODI series on a high before turning their focus to the T20I clash in Cuttack.
India’s T20I side will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with the squad preparing to face South Africa in the opening T20I of the five-match series at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
Choatic Scenes at Barabati Stadium for Tickets
With the opening match of the five-match T20I series taking place in just four days, there is a huge demand for tickets for the first T20I at Barabati Stadium, leading to long queues and chaotic scenes outside the stadium.
In a video that went viral on social media, the crowd can be seen flocking outside the stadium when the ticket counter barely opened. The fans were pushing each other, while shouting and stumbling in a desperate attempt to buy tickets for the first T20I at the 45,000-seater Cuttack stadium. Moreover, the fans broke the lines and pushed in from the sides, while some sprinted back to cut through the crowd.
The chaotic scenes outside the stadium raise questions about the crowd management and public safety ahead of the first T20I at the Barabati Stadium.
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It was reported that only 2000 tickets were sold online, and 10,000 tickets were available offline, as the remaining tickets were reserved as passes for corporate guests, VIPs, and team officials. The sale of tickets for matches in India has been witnessing unprecedented demand, especially for the game involving Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, highlighting the craze and passion of cricket fans across the country.
Social Media Users Express Frustration over Chaotic Ticket Scenes
After the video of the chaotic scenes outside the Barabati Cricket Stadium went viral on social media, the social media users, especially on X (formerly Twitter), slammed the Odisha Cricket Association for poor crowd management and inadequate arrangements.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), the netizens questioned the arrangement of tickets when it was expected that large crowds would gather, urging the association to better plan and crowd control, and prioritise fan safety for high-demand matches.
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Meanwhile, Team India has remained unbeaten in the last 10 T20I series since 2023, aiming to continue their dominant streak against South Africa in the upcoming five-match series, starting with the opening match at the Barabati Cricket Stadium in Cuttack.