Nearly 8.4 million ticket requests have been submitted for India’s group-stage meeting with Pakistan at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, organisers say. The match is scheduled for 10 October at Johannesburg’s Wanderers stadium, where capacity is just 34,000.
Demand stretches beyond the rivalry
Wanderers will also stage the final on 21 November, with almost eight million applications submitted for that fixture. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are jointly hosting the tournament.
The competition begins on 7 October with Australia facing India. That opener brings together the sides from the 2023 final, when Australia defeated India in Ahmedabad.
India hold the recent advantage
The India-Pakistan fixture remains among cricket’s biggest attractions and its most financially lucrative contests. Recent results, however, have strongly favoured India, who have won the teams’ past nine encounters.
Pakistan’s most recent victory over India was at the 2022 Asia Cup. Their World Cup meeting in Johannesburg will come in a group that also includes Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier.
The groups and route to the semi-finals
- India and Pakistan are grouped with Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier.
- England’s group includes South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and another qualifier.
The leading three teams in each group will advance to the Super 7, alongside the better of the two fourth-placed finishers. The top four teams from that stage will then reach the semi-finals.
