New Delhi: The India-Pakistan clash at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has emerged as the most sought-after match in the ticket ballot, with more than 100,000 applications received for the October 10 fixture.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on October 6 that ticket demand for the 2027 ODI World Cup had crossed the one-million mark within days of the ballot opening. The tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21, 2027.

The India-Pakistan match, scheduled at The Wanderers in Johannesburg, is attracting the highest demand among the fixtures currently available in the ballot. The latest ICC update said more than 110,000 applications had been received for the match, underlining the enormous interest surrounding the traditional cricket rivalry.

More than 320,000 fans register for ballot

According to the ICC, more than 320,000 fans had registered for the World Cup ticket ballot by October 6, submitting applications for more than 1.1 million tickets across matches in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The ballot opened on October 1, with fans able to register their interest in the matches they want to attend. The strong response came within less than three days of registrations beginning.

ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta described the response as an indication of the attention surrounding the 2027 World Cup.

The tournament will mark the return of an ICC men’s marquee event to Africa after two decades, with the competition expected to attract fans from across the cricket-playing world.

India-Pakistan clash leads ticket demand

The October 10 group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan is currently at the top of the ticket-demand list.

South Africa versus India is next, with more than 86,000 applications, while India’s match against Australia has received more than 80,000 applications, according to the ICC.

Another India-Pakistan encounter could also take place later in the tournament. A pre-seeded Super 7 fixture between India (A1) and Pakistan (A3), scheduled for November 7, has already received around 75,000 applications.

The World Cup final, which is scheduled to be played at The Wanderers in Johannesburg on November 21, has attracted almost 65,000 applications so far.

India to begin campaign against Australia

India will begin its 2027 World Cup campaign against Australia on October 7 in Cape Town before facing Pakistan three days later.

India and Pakistan are part of Group A along with Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier. The tournament features 14 teams, with the group phase followed by the Super 7 stage and the knockout matches.

The India-Pakistan fixture will therefore arrive very early in India’s campaign and is expected to be one of the major attractions of the group stage.

The two teams have a long-standing cricket rivalry, and their World Cup meetings have traditionally generated enormous global attention. The latest ticket figures underline the continued commercial and spectator interest surrounding their encounters.

Affordable ticket options announced

The ICC has also highlighted a range of ticket pricing options for the 2027 World Cup.

Entry-level tickets start at USD 9.62, equivalent to about 158 South African rand, while tickets for the highest-tier matches are priced at USD 31.31, or approximately 514 rand, according to the governing body.

The ticketing arrangements also include family bundles, student and pensioner pricing, early-bird local allocations and special pricing for community clubs and school groups.

The ICC said the measures were intended to provide different sections of the public with opportunities to attend matches during the tournament.

Ticket ballot remains open

Fans interested in attending the 2027 World Cup can continue to register for the ballot and select their preferred matches until November 21, 2026.

The huge early response means demand for some fixtures is already substantially higher than the available stadium capacity. A ticket application, therefore, does not automatically guarantee a ticket, with the ballot process determining successful applications.

The ICC’s latest figures show that the India-Pakistan fixture is leading the demand race, while other India matches and the World Cup final are also attracting significant interest.

With the tournament still nearly a year away, the early response provides an indication of the global attention expected when the 2027 ODI World Cup gets underway in Africa.

For India and Pakistan fans, however, October 10 is already one of the most anticipated dates on the cricket calendar. The strong ticket demand for the Johannesburg encounter has once again demonstrated the extraordinary following generated by one of international cricket’s most closely watched rivalries.