Ind vs SA T20 at Cuttack Barabati: Ten-fold black market ticket rates cast shadow on elaborate arrangements

Allegations of ticket black-marketing ahead of the India vs South Africa T20 match at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack gathered steam with videos on social media purportedly showing Rs 700 tickets being sold for rates ranging from Rs 3,500 to Rs 15,000.

The visuals, circulated widely on platforms like X, showed roadside negotiations and buyers alleging that official stocks had already run out within hours of the offline sale opening.

Black-Market Complaints Surface

Sources reported that crowds assembled at the stadium hours before 9 am when the counters opened for general public sale.

Several spectators alleged that only a limited number of tickets were visible at authorised counters while middlemen were offering tickets for several times the printed price near the entry roads.

According to information shared at the venue, only about 2,000 tickets were made available online, with the remaining portion routed through physical sale points, leading to high demand during the first hour of distribution.

Commissionerate Police’s Elaborate Layout

On Thursday, a detailed personnel briefing was held inside Barabati Stadium by the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Twin City Commissionerate Police.

Officials confirmed that serpentine iron barricades, entry and exit channels and designated walking loops were placed outside counters to manage movement.

The police stated that overnight queuing would not be permitted and that staff on duty were instructed not to obtain tickets for personal use. Operational rules were circulated to ground personnel, focusing on queue formation, crowd spacing and immediate reporting of unauthorised resale.

However, the measures failed to curb overcrowding, black marketing, and chaos, as per allegations levied by fans. As of the last reports, neither the Commissionerate Police nor the OCA has responded to these claims.

ALSO READ: ‘Rs 6000 for Rs 1100 ticket’: Black marketing mars Ind-SA ticket sale for Barabati T20 in Cuttack; OTV Exclusive

The India–South Africa match at the Cuttack Barabati Stadium is scheduled for December 9. A red-soil pitch has been prepared for the match, and the wicket was cleared after inspection by BCCI East-Zone pitch curator Ashish Bhowmick, who evaluated surface hardness, moisture balance and bounce characteristics during his visit before the game.