T20 World Cup: When the teams of India and Pakistan face each other on the cricket field, the world comes to a halt. This match is not just a battle of victory or defeat between two countries, but is a tide of emotions in which crores of fans flow. But have you ever wondered how big a mountain of money lies behind this thrill that appears on your TV screen? In the world of cricket, ‘economics’ is more important than emotions. As soon as the suspense regarding the T20 World Cup 2026 ended, it became clear that it is almost impossible for any tournament to be successful without the India-Pakistan match.
A sigh of relief after suspense and drama
This time a strange uneasiness was seen before the schedule of T20 World Cup 2026. There was reluctance from Pakistan side to play the first match, due to which the heartbeats of cricket fans and sponsors increased. If this match had not taken place, both the excitement and earnings of the tournament would have faded. Reports say that after this a round of talks took place between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Cricket Board and finally Pakistan agreed to play. As soon as this great match was approved, everyone from broadcasters to the hotel industry heaved a sigh of relief.
Earnings worth billions based on one match
You can estimate the economic importance of this one match from the fact that if this match had not taken place, the organizers would have had to suffer huge losses. If we look at the figures, if the match between India and Pakistan had been cancelled, ICC would have had to suffer a direct loss of about 174 million dollars i.e. about Rs 1560 crore. At the same time, it is expected to earn around 180 million dollars (about Rs 1600 crore) from organizing just this one match. This amount is a huge part of the total earnings from the entire tournament. This is the reason why in the world of cricket, this ‘high voltage’ match is considered to be the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Flight prices increased 6 times
The impact of this match is not limited only to the earnings of the board, but it also has a direct impact on the common fans and the economy of the city. As soon as the news of the match was confirmed, there was such traffic on the ticketing websites that the systems crashed. On the other hand, inflation made the fans loose. For example, the price of flight from Mumbai to Colombo, which was available for Rs 10 thousand on normal days, suddenly increased to Rs 60 thousand. The rent of hotel rooms crossed Rs 1 lakh. A similar scene was seen in Ahmedabad in the 2023 World Cup also. This inflation shows that fans are ready to go to any extent to watch this match.
Pakistan had to play the match at any cost
After all, why did Pakistan agree after initially refusing? Economic reasons were the biggest factor behind this. Actually, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was facing severe shortage of options. Pakistan receives crores of dollars of funding from ICC every year, which helps in running the cricket there. If Pakistan had withdrawn from this important match, not only would it have to pay a heavy fine, but future financial assistance could also be in jeopardy. Apart from this, strict agreements with broadcasters also make organizing this match mandatory. India is today the earning powerhouse of world cricket, from where almost 90 percent of the global revenue comes. In such a situation, not playing this match would have been like hitting an ax in the foot for Pakistan.
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