India won the match against Pakistan but I am not happy

The moment I discovered that the ICC World T20 2016 was to be hosted in India, my imaginations started to run wild. The iconic Eden Gardens filled to its capacity, Virat Kohli hitting the finest of bowlers for a four, Dhoni finishing off in his signature sixes, Raina taking an acrobatic catch, the crowd going crazy, and me, having painted myself blue, roaring in deafening decibels “India, India”

When the schedule for the same was released, I was disappointed. Not a single league match of India was to be played in Calcutta. The city was scheduled to host several warm-ups and non-India matches. And the finals.

But who can guarantee India will reach the finals and I will see the Men in Blue play live?

Anyway, I made peace with myself by booking tickets for the India Vs West Indies warm-up match and registering for the finals.

When I got to know that India and Pakistan would meet at the Eden Gardens instead of HPCA, my happiness knew no bounds. From no league match in Calcutta to the most thunderous one!

‘We are not issuing tickets at the counter’

I wanted to be in the stadium during the match and support my country.

It took me back to the saying “when you really want something, the whole world conspires to make it happen”. I made several visits to the Mohammedan Sporting Club to enquire about tickets, only to return home empty-handed after being told by the police “aapni baari jaan” (please go home, we are not issuing tickets at the counter).

Having no other option, I patiently waited for the email from BookMyShow confirming 2 tickets for me, which never came either. All I knew was, I wanted to be in the stadium during the match and support my country.

I have rarely missed any big games at the Eden Gardens. Not because my dad is a member of the CAB or I have what they call “sources”. I either stand in the long queue at the Mohammedan Sporting Club or book online.

When the tournament is about to approach, I keep a check on all the probable ticket selling websites to not miss out on the tickets online. This is because I am passionate about the sport. Because I love watching cricket.

Social media turned into Olx

However, the scene was different and ugly this time. From all the people I know, none were allotted tickets through BookMyShow. I do not know how many tickets were issued through the online ticketing portal since there is no clarity about that.

But considering that most people from Dharamsala forfeited their tickets and there was no counter sale, the total number of tickets issued through the ballot should have been much higher.

If the tickets were not to be sold to the public, why did the authorities hold the match in the stadium? Who was it for? Only for those who could afford membership tickets at 5 times the cost price? And what about people like me who could not afford it but were passionate about the match?

I do not blame the CAB or ICC here. I blame the people. The past one week the social media had turned into Olx, with people selling their membership tickets at nothing below Rs. 7,000.

Rs 4000 for tickets worth Rs 500

From WhatsApp messages to Facebook pages, blackers and others took to social platforms extensively to loot people. I do not shy away to include my acquaintances from school and college in this list, who were luring me to buy their membership tickets at unimaginable prices.

The victorious match, as you all may never forget, was played on Saturday. Until Saturday 4 pm I left no stone unturned to get myself tickets. From messaging the facebook sellers to making calls to contact numbers provided by my friends, I gave my best.

But I couldn’t find a single person to give me tickets below Rs. 4000 for the upper tier and Rs. 7500 for the lower. (P.S – the upper tier costs only 500 and the lower 1000). Later during the day, it began to rain and the chances of the match happening were dim. Hence, the prices of the tickets too would drop.

Conversation between a blacker and a young boy

I eavesdropped a conversation between a blacker and a young boy

Hoping against hope, I went to the Mohammedan Sporting Ground an hour ahead of the match where I miraculously managed lower block tickets for myself at Rs. 1500 each from a blacker.

Although I was very happy, what followed my purchase was something that disturbed me throughout the match.

I was waiting near the car parking outside the stadium where I eavesdropped a conversation between a blacker and a young boy. While the former was offering him upper tier ticket at Rs. 3,500, the boy earnestly kept appealing him to sell any block, any seat at Rs. 2000, more than which he couldn’t afford he said.

I could see love for the sport in the boy’s body language. He just wanted to be a part of the game with the money that he could afford. Eventually, I saw him walking towards Red Road, unable to find a seat for himself.

Few people put the entire city to shame

Soon later the match began. The seats enveloping me were occupied by a group of girls, clicking selfies at every ball from their iPhones, having no interest in the match and asking each other questions like “free hit kya hai, kisiko bhi maar sakta hai kya?”

I couldn’t help but think about the boy outside the stadium, who would have made a better use of one of those seats.

It is a section of people from Calcutta who have put the entire city to shame with several headlines talking about the ticket crisis and ridiculously high prices. Most of my cricket enthusiastic friends had to watch the match on their televisions.

Please, let us together promise not to repeat the same for the finals. If you have membership tickets, give it to someone who has never experienced a live match. I am not asking you to do charity. But do not let money power take over someone’s passion. Sell the ticket at the printed price. Let the fanatical ones live their Eden dream.

Why not sell tickets responsibly?

Even though I managed tickets for myself, painted myself blue, sang the national anthem with Amitabh Bachchan, saw the brilliant catch by Hardik Pandya, the match-winning knock from Kohli and Dhoni’s signature six, I was not happy.

And wait. Before you assume I am a 90s born boy who grew up playing and watching cricket, let me clear. I am a 90s born girl.

I have never held a bat in my hand but I love watching cricket. Wait again. Before you assume I watch cricket to drool over Virat Kohli’s handsomeness, let me tell you I instead drool over his cover drive and late cut! I mention this because one of the people who I asked for tickets told me “ladki ho, kya karogi Eden jaake”.

Hoping that tickets for the finals are sold a bit more responsibly and every ardent cricket lover, irrespective of his/her affordability, finds a seat at the cost price!