As India swung into the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, so did Ahmedabad hotel and flight fares – the city where the final will be played on Sunday.
What was expected to be a straightforward task of securing accommodations and tickets has turned into an ordeal for fans, who, post-schedule announcement, found themselves entangled in a web of skyrocketing flight prices and off-the-charts hotel room rents.
Charges for hotel rooms are soaring from Rs 10,000 per night to an exorbitant Rs 1,00,000 or beyond per night, depending on the brand and occupancy position of the property.
Such a trend was seen before the October 15 clash between India and Pakistan at Motera when hotel room rents and ticket prices soared.
Travel platforms such as Booking.com, MakeMyTrip and Agoda reported a massive search for stays in Ahmedabad before the India-Pak clash and even now, before the finals.
Google flight data indicated a 200% to 300% surge in the price of round-trip flight tickets during the final match, even months ago. Flight tickets from Delhi to Ahmedabad on November 18 are now costing over Rs 15,000.
The final phase of match tickets that went live on November 13 have now been all sold out. The cheapest ticket last available was priced at Rs 10,000 on BookMyShow.
A mandatory collection of e-ticket printouts from stadium counters a couple of days prior to the historic final was also behind the surge necessitating Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to announce that fans may collect their tickets from dedicated counters.
India on Wednesday beat New Zealand by 70 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in an electrifying semi-final to enter the final of the coveted tournament.
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