"Thank you @BCCI for ruining this World Cup" - Fans react to empty stands in IND vs AUS match

The much-awaited 2023 World Cup game between India and Australia is being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.

To everyone’s surprise, there were empty stands despite the Men in Blue playing their opening game of the marquee ICC event at home. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000 spectators, but approximately 25 percent of seats were empty.

That came despite the fact that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s official ticketing partner bookmyshow.com showing that the tickets were sold.

Earlier the World Cup opener between the defending champions England and the runners-up New Zealand had failed to attract the attention of the viewers at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.

Fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) were shocked to see empty seats as India began their campaign against Australia on a bright sunny Sunday in Chennai. One user wrote:

"Thank you @BCCI for ruining this World Cup. So many people wanted tickets but nobody got them, yet so many empty stands. Even normal matches used to get full house. This ticket Scam seems bigger than all scams."

Here are some more reactions:

Fans react to empty stands in IND vs AUS 2023 match

Fans react to empty stands in IND vs AUS 2023 match

According to the bookmyshow.com, India’s first three matches against Australia, Afghanistan (Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi), and Pakistan have been sold out.

The BCCI, who has been on the receiving end regarding tickets, recently released 14,000 more tickets for the Indo-Pak game in Ahmedabad. More tickets will be up for grabs for India’s remaining six games before the semifinals and the final.

Virat Kohli asks friends not to request him for World Cup tickets

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli recently asked his friends not to request him for World Cup tickets and urged them to watch the tournament from the comfort of their homes. In an Instagram post, he wrote:

"As we approach the World Cup, I would humbly like to let all my friends know to not request me for tickets all through the tournament. Enjoy from your homes please.”

As far as the match is concerned, Australia captain Pat Cummins opted to bat against India in Chennai on Sunday.

At the time of writing, the Aussies were 119/4 after 29.4 overs with Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey at the crease.

Follow IND vs AUS live score updates here.