Cricket fever hits Rs20k

Blackmarket makes a killing on Bangalore ODI ticket sales.

BANGALORE: Cricket fever has peaked in Bangalore with tickets for Saturday’s ODI selling in the blackmarket for a whopping Rs20,000.

Over 12,000 tickets were legally bought on September 24 within three hours of the opening of the sale.

But fans are willing to buy tickets for even ten times the actual price, especially the open gallery tickets that cost Rs200.

The high-end tickets that cost Rs10,000 are being sold
for Rs 20,000.

Over 12,000 tickets were sold out on September 24, other categories were booked much earlier, said Santosh Menon, member of the organising committee of KSCA.

An official requesting anonymity said at least 40% of the tickets are given as complimentary.

The Chinnaswamy stadium where the match will be held has a capacity of 55,000.

But even the black market seems to have been swept clean.

Tickets are no longer available, in any form.

The police force has also suffered a reversal; it will be one man short during its match duty because a constable has been suspended for allegedly selling tickets in black. 

“Constable Nagesh was apparently seen selling tickets to make extra money,” said BNS Reddy, the deputy commissioner of police, who is in-charge of the security during the match.

“We will investigate the matter.”

According to the police, Nagesh, who was deployed to check illegal sale of tickets, was caught on camera while illegally selling tickets.