Johannesburg: Nearly 8.4 million ticket requests have been submitted for the India Pakistan group stage match at the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, making it the most sought after fixture of the tournament, organisers announced on Monday.
The two teams are scheduled to meet on October 10, 2027, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has a seating capacity of approximately 34000. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the match has attracted 8,397,294 ticket requests, far exceeding the number of seats available.
The World Cup final, which will be played at the same venue on November 21, has received 7,900,944 requests, placing it second in demand.
The ICC said more than 120 million ticket requests had been submitted for the competition, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Nearly three million fans from 193 countries have registered for the ticket ballot, indicating interest from audiences beyond the three host nations. The ballot opened on October 1 and will remain open until November 21, 2026.
Under the system, fans submit applications for the matches they wish to attend. Those selected through the ballot will subsequently receive instructions for purchasing tickets. The application figures represent ticket requests rather than confirmed sales, and applicants are not guaranteed tickets. The tournament will feature 14 teams competing in 57 matches across 12 venues from October 2 to November 21, 2027.
Matches between Pakistan and India attract audiences because of the cricketing rivalry between the neighbouring countries and the limited opportunities for bilateral competition. Political tensions have restricted bilateral cricket between the two nations, leaving ICC and Asian Cricket Council tournaments among the principal occasions on which they face each other.
The fixture also carries commercial significance for broadcasters, sponsors and tournament organisers because of its audience reach. India have dominated recent encounters between the sides, while Pakistan's last victory over India came during the 2022 Asia Cup.
Their meeting in Johannesburg will provide Pakistan with another opportunity to improve its record against India in an international tournament. The scale of ticket demand also highlights the difference between the number of supporters seeking to attend and the limited capacity of the stadium. With more than eight million applications for approximately 34,000 seats, many applicants will be unable to obtain tickets even if every seat is made available through the ballot.
Australia and India to open group stage action
The World Cup will begin on October 2 with a three team qualifying Super Series in Namibia, while the group stage starts on October 7 with India facing defending champions Australia in Cape Town. The opening group match will be a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where Australia defeated hosts India to claim their sixth title.
Pakistan have been placed in Group A alongside India, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifying team. Group B comprises England, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and another qualifier. The tournament marks the return of the Men's Cricket World Cup to Africa after 24 years, following the 2003 edition hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Namibia will host matches in the men's senior tournament for the first time.
The 2027 World Cup will use a format different from the 10 team competition held in India in 2023. Following the preliminary qualifying phase, 12 teams will compete in two groups of six, with each side playing five group stage matches. The top three teams from each group, along with the better performing fourth placed team, will advance to the Super 7 stage.
The seven remaining teams will then compete in a round robin format, with the top four progressing to the semi finals. The semi finals are scheduled for November 17 and 18 in Cape Town and Centurion, respectively, before the final in Johannesburg. The expanded format will give more teams an opportunity to compete while increasing the number of matches played during the tournament.
The number of applications presents both commercial opportunities and logistical challenges for the ICC and the host countries. Demand for the India Pakistan match could support revenue from tourism, accommodation and other services in Johannesburg as visitors travel to South Africa for the tournament.
However, the gap between ticket requests and available seats places attention on the allocation process and the need to communicate ballot results to applicants. Organisers will also need to coordinate transport, security and crowd management arrangements around fixtures expected to attract visitors from different countries. The ICC has said successful applicants will receive information through the email addresses provided during registration.
For supporters hoping to attend the India Pakistan fixture, the next stage will be the completion of the ticket ballot and the announcement of allocations, ahead of the match on October 10, 2027.
