In an eagerly awaited moment for cricket fans, the sale of tickets for the 2023 World Cup matches featuring India kickstarted on August 29. Organizers had set up a special pre-sale event exclusively for the nine games where the Men in Blue would be competing. However, the enthusiasm of fans led to an unexpected turn of events as the ticketing partner, BookMyShow, struggled to handle the surge in demand, resulting in web server crashes.
Also read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Guide to Booking Tickets for India Matches
*Mixed Fortunes for Enthusiastic Fans*
As the clock struck 6 PM, the pre-sale began, triggering a rush of excitement. Some fortunate fans secured early access to coveted tickets, while others were greeted with prolonged wait times and, unfortunately, empty hands. Despite being a pre-sale, the available tickets for the nine matches were snapped up swiftly, primarily due to an overwhelming response from passionate cricket aficionados.
*Queue Woes and Glitches*
Long queues became a common sight, with patient fans willing to wait for more than 12 hours to secure their seats. However, a frustrating roadblock emerged as fans reached the booking page, only to be met with a disheartening “Something Went Wrong” error message in bold red. This abrupt end to their arduous wait left many disappointed and ticketless.
*Hope for Future Purchases*
The pre-sale, initially scheduled to conclude on August 30 at 6 PM, had an unexpectedly abrupt closure due to the quick exhaustion of available tickets. Fortunately, the door is not entirely closed for those who missed out. Tickets for India matches will be released in phases from August 30 onwards, offering cricket enthusiasts a renewed opportunity to be a part of the live action.
*Upcoming Ticket Sale Schedule*
Fans can mark their calendars for the upcoming ticket sale dates, divided into phases, as follows:
-On August 30, India is scheduled to have warm-up games in Trivandrum and Guwahati. The matches continue on August 31, with India playing in Chennai, Delhi, and Pune. On September 1, the action moves to Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Mumbai. Bengaluru and Kolkata are the venues for India’s matches on September 2, and on September 3, a single match is scheduled for India in Ahmedabad.
Each day’s ticket sales will commence at 8 PM IST. With a phased approach to ticket sales, organizers are hopeful that the server issues witnessed during the pre-sale will not mar the experience for eager fans in the days ahead.
