Cricket fans scramble to get tickets for the match in Cuttack, Odisha ahead of India’s T20I match against South Africa on December 9. The Odisha cricket administration released only a limited number of seats for public sale ahead of the international match, which meant many supporters were forced to queue for hours to secure tickets.
On a cold winter morning, thousands of fans were waiting in front of the stadium, forming long lines that stretched across the grounds. Once the counters opened, people pushed and shoved to move forward, creating chaotic scenes reminiscent of the pre-digital era when fans had no choice but to physically queue for tickets if they wanted to attend a match.
After videos of desperate fans being pulled and shoved went viral on social media, many users expressed outrage at the situation. Several supporters claimed the chaos occurred because the state association released only a small portion of the stadium’s capacity for public purchase and allegedly allocated most of the remaining tickets to its members and VIPs.
“VIPs get tickets. Fans have chaos. Total chaos outside Barabati stadium for India vs SA T20 tickets. Over forty thousand seats in Barabati and most booked as tickets,” wrote a user on X on Friday, December 5. Not all areas of the field were open for tickets. (Photo: District)
Counter tickets were priced between Rs 700 to Rs 20,000. Reports indicated that a total of only 20,000 tickets were released for fans.
India are scheduled to play a five-match T20I series against South Africa, with matches to be played in Cuttack, Mullanpur, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
The series is expected to be crucial for both teams as they prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 to be held in February and March. The 2024 finalists are likely to field their strongest teams as they look to gain momentum and assess their combinations ahead of the global tournament.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
December 5, 2025
