What’s the story?
Should hosts England and holders India both make it to the finals of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, the home fans might have to silence a large Indian crowd that could possibly outnumber the hosts at the Oval on Sunday.
The fans who bought tickets for the final were asked to identify the team they supported by the ICC. According to a report in The Telegraph, 31 percent of ticket-holders for the sold out final have identified themselves as supporters of Team India whereas about 32 percent has identified themselves as supporters of the English team.
However, judging by the experience of the group stage games, it is expected that a majority of the 30 percent of the ticket-holders who did not signify their favourite team will be supporting Virat Kohli and his men.
In case you didn’t know…
England and India, two of the favourites going into the tournament, have both made it to the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament after topping their respective groups. It is highly expected that the final will be a repeat of that of the last edition of the Champions Trophy. Indian skipper Kohli also mentioned a couple of days back how everyone was waiting to watch an England-India final.
The heart of the matter
The Oval, which is scheduled to host the final of the tournament, boasts a seating capacity of 25,500, all of which have been sold out. Even though the numbers give the English fans a fractional edge, it is likely that the Indian fans will outnumber them on Sunday.
When India were playing South Africa in the all-important group stage game, there were hundreds of Indian fans outside the stadium. On the other hand, when England took on Bangladesh in the opening match, there were far more Bangladeshi fans than expected.
Furthermore, although the tickets for both semi-finals and the final were sold out months back, empty seats are expected in Cardiff today when England take on Pakistan in the first semi-final. This is because 37 percent of the tickets for today’s game were bought by Indian fans. ICC on their part have urged these supporters to return their tickets so that English or Pakistani fans can buy tickets at the gate.
What’s next?
England will play Pakistan in the first semi-final in Cardiff today while India will take on Bangladesh in the second semi-final in Edgbaston tomorrow. The winners of the two games will play in the final on Sunday at the Oval.
Author’s take
England are the team to beat in this tournament and it will be an exciting proposition if India face them in the final. The fact that the stadium will be packed with their supporters will definitely bolster the confidence of the Men in Blue. However, first, they have to beat Bangladesh tomorrow, something that will not be very easy.
