A report from Tehelka’s SIT has exposed the lucrative business of ticket touts selling complimentary passes for a profit during the ongoing 2023 Cricket World Cup. One ticket tout named Pankaj Verma was interviewed, admitting to selling ICC complimentary passes for the India-New Zealand match in Dharamsala on October 22nd. Pankaj initially quoted a price of Rs 15,000 per pass for four tickets, totaling Rs 60,000. When confronted about the fact that the passes were supposed to be free, he offered a Rs 2,000 discount on one pass, bringing the price down to Rs 13,000. Pankaj also mentioned that he could potentially arrange free passes for other matches at a discounted rate of Rs 12,000 per pass.
The content further discusses the issues faced by cricket fans during the ticket sale process and the mismanagement surrounding it. Many fans were unable to purchase tickets despite making travel plans and some resorted to purchasing tickets from the black market at inflated prices. It is suggested that black marketeers may have bought tickets online in bulk, leading to empty stadiums during matches. Tehelka decided to investigate the matter and encountered Pankaj, who was selling ICC complimentary passes for a fee. After a 15-minute wait, Pankaj offered to sell two of the remaining four passes for Rs 30,000. He later agreed to a price of Rs 14,000 with a Rs 1,000 discount. Pankaj also mentioned having complimentary passes for future matches featuring India in places like Delhi and Chennai.