There are no two more closely followed national teams in cricket than India and Pakistan. Their rivalry, of course, extends well beyond the boundary rope, shaped by the political and geopolitical tensions that have defined relations between the two countries for decades. The sides are due to meet at next year’s World Cup in South Africa. The demand for tickets has been extraordinary: the International Cricket Council has received 8.4 million applications for the match. Yes, 8.4 MILLION. To put that into perspective, imagine every resident of Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari and Catania applying for a ticket. The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg has just 34,000 seats.
India-Pakistan is already the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the 2027 Cricket World Cup. The match is scheduled for 10 October at the Wanderers, with the ticket ballot open until 21 November. The interest is hardly confined to that meeting. The final, to be played at the same venue on 21 November, has attracted almost eight million applications of its own. Across the tournament, organisers have received more than 120 million ticket requests. The competition runs from 2 October to 21 November, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia sharing hosting duties.
India-Pakistan remains the tournament’s headline fixture, and one of the most commercially significant dates in the cricket calendar. The rivalry retains its extraordinary pull despite a recent run of results that has been anything but close. India have won the last nine meetings between the sides; Pakistan’s most recent victory came at the 2022 Asia Cup. The 2027 tournament will feature 14 teams, divided into two groups. India will face Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifier. The other group will comprise England, South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and a second qualifying side. The top three teams in each group, along with the best fourth-placed side, will progress to the Super 7, from which the four semi-finalists will emerge.
The opening match has its own history. On 7 October, Australia and India will meet in a repeat of the 2023 final in Ahmedabad, where Australia stunned the hosts to claim the title. But the ticket figures have already settled the question of which fixture has captured the public imagination. India against Pakistan, in Johannesburg, with millions of supporters hoping to get through the gates. It may be a group-stage match. Nobody seems particularly concerned about that.