India vs Pakistan T20 tickets being sold online at inflated prices

BANGALORE, INDIA: What can probably termed the most awaited match of the year approaches fast. The India vs Pakistan T20 cricket match, being held on December 25 at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, has got crickets fans thoroughly excited.

Ar positive initiative that has been taken by the Karnataka State Cricket Stadium (KSCA) this time is 7,187 are being sold online at www.bookmyshow.com for stands across the stadium at different fares. Online tickets are priced between Rs. 1,600 and 15,000, with those for corporates priced at Rs. 12,500, and terrace seats at Rs. 9,000.

However, as of now, most of the tickets available on this site are sold-out and only tickets costing Rs. 12,500, 9000 and 7000 are available. This has lead viewers to turn to other sites wherein tickets are being sold at inflated prices. A user on Quicker.com is quoting a price of Rs. 10,000 for tickets in the lower B row, the cost of which was originally Rs. 1600 on BookMyShow.

Another user is quoting a price of Rs. 6000 for a ticket in the B upper row, which costs Rs. 1600 as well. ''i have tickets for indian pak match in b'lore. each ticket- 4500rs'' says another similar post on Quicker.

Apart posts put up by users, there's another website called Viagogo, which provides an option for users to sell their tickets online. Viagogo is an online ticket exchange for buying and selling live event tickets. Although the website currently displays the map of the Chinnaswamy stadium, there is no information on any online transaction being carried out on the site.

That said, viewers must note that in February 2012, viagogo featured in Channel Four's Dispatches programme entitled "The Great Ticket Scandal". The programme claimed that allocations of tickets from the primary ticket seller and tickets purchased by staff members were being resold at inflated prices, according to Wikipedia. However, viagogo responded to the programme's claims through an interview with the BBC.

Having said that, we would like to inform viewers that the official website for purchasing tickets online is BookMyShow. Hence, it could be illegal to buy and sell tickets at inflated prices elsewhere.

However, what do you have to say? Should KSCA increase the number of tickets available on BookMyShow to combat this problem? Do let us know.