Eager fans queue up outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the hope of getting ticket for the match between RCB and CSK, in Bengaluru on May 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K
As the tempo for the high stakes match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is building up, tickets for the game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru were being sold in black at exorbitant prices.
According to an RCB fan, who bought a ticket on May 17, a ticket priced ₹4,800 was sold for ₹15,000. The ones priced ₹2,990 was being offered for ₹13,000. The prices saw a steep jump on May 18, the day of the match.
On may 18 afternoon, tickets priced around ₹4,000 were allegedly being offered for ₹20,000 in black. One RCB fan, who was near the stadium, was disappointed as he could not afford to pay ₹20,000.
RCB’s Anuj Rawat and Mahipal Lomror during training ahead of the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K
The tickets in black were allegedly being sold on Cubbon Road, Queens Road, Tonic Signal, near Cubbon Park metro station, and some other places. On Queens Road, complimentary tickets, which are given to members of the Karnataka State Cricket Association for free, were being offered for ₹14,000.
Tickets were also allegedly sold over the phone. The sellers, who procured the tickets in bulk through middlemen, were allegedly offering the tickets at prices ranging from ₹11,000 to ₹16,000. After contacting a seller over the phone, a buyer had to make the payment before a man would hand over the ticket in person, said another cricket enthusiast.
Cyber criminals prey on fans
With a surge in demand for tickets, scamsters were on the prowl. Cyber scamsters, after showing physical tickets, allegedly asked fans to make a payment using a QR code. Some fans claims that while some were asking for an OTP, in many cases, suspected cyber criminals are sending fake messages claiming that money was not transferred. Hence, buyers end up making multiple transactions only to realise that they had been victims of a scam.
(With inputs from Poorvi S., Aasaavari Mohana Gobburu, Debasmita Chowdhury, Parvati Nair. Aditi A.)