Scalpers chasing five-figure payday for India v Pakistan World Cup blockbuster that hasn’t sold out

Tickets for India and Pakistan’s T20 World Cup blockbuster in New York are being resold for as much as $22,000 each. It’s legal to buy them but there’s remains one big problem.

Tickets for India’s T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan are being resold for as much as $22,000. Picture: Francois Nel/Getty Images

Demand for cricket’s arrival in the USA has exploded, with tickets for the India and Pakistan blockbuster in New York selling for as much as $22,000 each.

In proof that the sport could have a massive future in America, tickets are at such a premium for the clash of the two subcontinental giants that the astronomical resale prices are starting to match those recorded for a Super Bowl or baseball World Series.

The ICC has built a 34,000-seat pop-up cricket stadium a 34-minute subway ride outside Manhattan in Nassau County, Long Island to host the historic event which sold out the MCG two years ago, and the cheapest available resale tickets are now listed at over $2,000.

Unlike Australia where it is illegal to resell tickets for more than face value, in the US there are no laws against punters turning over secondary tickets for whatever price they want.

On ticket resale giant StubHub, best view tickets have now exceeded an asking price of AU$22,000, and the frenzy to purchase secondary tickets has masked a bizarre reality … India and Pakistan isn’t even sold out.

The MCG was packed out when India and Pakistan faced off at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Given the prices being set on StubHub, fans are assuming the landmark clash in New York is a sellout, but there are still hospitality tickets available starting from $2500 each which are actually cheaper than the vast majority of secondary tickets being offered.

The ICC earlier this week released new club tickets for India and Pakistan and are trying to get the message out there that the hospitality seats are still available, and relatively affordable compared to the five-figure sums being commanded on StubHub.

Nassau County International Stadium might not be quite the MCG, but it still promises to produce a stunning spectacle for one of the biggest sporting match-ups on the planet.

The ICC has built a pop-up cricket stadium for the T20 World Cup. Picture: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Built in Eisenhower Park, a 930-acre oasis bigger than Central Park, the ICC is in the final stages of completing an incredible feat in which it has transported stadium seats from the USA Grand Prix track in Texas and a custom made pitch which has been grown in Florida.

Renowned Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough has spent the past few months in Florida presiding over the preparation of the wicket, before the drop-in trays were placed on trucks and driven up the east coast of America.

ICC organisers are anticipating the World Cup matches to be played at Nassau County – headlined by India and Pakistan – will set New York City abuzz.

There are millions of New Yorkers with subcontinental backgrounds and it’s their passion for cricket which gives the game a genuine platform on which to become a successful sport in the USA.

Originally published as Scalpers chasing five-figure payday for India v Pakistan World Cup blockbuster that hasn’t sold out