Visakhapatnam: The city is buzzing with cricket fever as the YSR ACA Stadium hosts the concluding IPL matches here this season.
The excitement reached a peak with the sold-out encounter between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Now, all eyes are set on the upcoming DC vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match on April 3, but questions linger about ticket sales.
The opening match witnessed a passionate crowd, awash in CSK's signature yellow, though the victory belonged to DC. Fans are now eagerly anticipating the KKR clash. However, a cloud of controversy hangs over ticket sales for the CSK match, with allegations of exorbitant prices, somewhat double of the actual cost.
The decision by DC to make Visakhapatnam their temporary home base is because of the scheduling conflicts at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, which recently hosted the Women's Premier League finals.
This has necessitated time for pitch preparation in Delhi, leading DC to play their initial matches in Visakhapatnam.
However, a dark cloud loomed over the excitement. Whispers of ticket malpractices had turned into a roar. Fans alleged that ticket prices for the CSK match were doubled and sold illegally in the black market, fuelled by the immense CSK craze.
The YSR ACA management washed their hands of the issue, claiming the ticketing process was entirely handled by the DC franchise.
This lack of transparency fuelled public outrage. Questions flew around: Why was ticketing entirely online? Why no offline sales? How many tickets were sold, and how many were VIP allocations? Frustration mounted with DC's silence in the matter.
Despite the controversy, the passion for cricket remained. Tickets for the KKR match were still available online, hinting at a potential sell-out. But the question remained: would the KKR match manage to replicate the electrifying atmosphere created by the CSK clash, overshadowed by the ticketing scandal?
Visakhapatnam now faced a double challenge to witness a captivating match between DC and KKR, and to hold the DC franchise accountable for the alleged ticketing irregularities. The fans were determined to enjoy the game, but a shadow of suspicion had been cast.
