India-Pakistan match mania: Sky-high flight fares, luxury hotel rents, ICC set to cash in

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Today, the highly anticipated T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan will be played. In the cricket world, this match is considered even bigger than the final. The International Cricket Council is expecting significant revenue from this high-voltage match. Meanwhile, the local hotel and aviation industries are also benefiting significantly from this match held in Sri Lanka.

The craze for the India-Pakistan match: Flight tickets cost 70,000, hotel rent reaches 1.5 lakh; ICC will also be rich. : Due to the match, hotel rates in Colombo and surrounding areas are skyrocketing. If a fan has reached Sri Lanka to watch the India-Pakistan match, he may have to spend up to Rs 1.5 lakh for one night. The prices of flight tickets have also increased manifold. The spectators who had booked tickets in advance also had to pay more fare than on normal days. As soon as the match was confirmed, the airfare for Mumbai-Colombo round trip increased from around Rs 10,000 to more than Rs 70,000. The return ticket is also costing more than Rs 75,000.

Rooms in premium hotels in Colombo for February 14 and 15 reached ₹105,000 to ₹106,000 per night, compared to ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 on normal days. The India-Pakistan match is considered the highest-grossing match in world cricket. According to reports, the commercial value of one such match is estimated at approximately ₹1800 to ₹2200 crore (approximately US$200–250 million).

The BCCI benefits the most from this, as India generates a significant portion of global cricket revenue. Consequently, the BCCI also receives the largest share of the ICC's annual revenue sharing. Broadcasters have reportedly paid approximately $3 billion for rights to ICC events in the 2024–27 media rights cycle. Therefore, they rely heavily on high-profile matches like India-Pakistan matches to recoup their investments and generate profits.