BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK : A stampede-like situation broke out and many lost consciousness as thousands of cricket enthusiasts got in the queue in front of Barabati Stadium on Wednesday to buy tickets for the second ODI between India and England. One person needed hospitalisation.
Cricket lovers had a terrible time - drinking water facility was not made available despite a huge turnout - as ticket buyers alleged poor planning and arrangements by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) as well as Cuttack city administration.
The fans said absence of proper exit routes further worsened the situation and left them exhausted even as the mercury levels soared to 31.8 degree Celsius.
People from various districts had arrived in Cuttack from Tuesday evening onwards in a bid to buy tickets from the counters.
“Some people lost consciousness due to the mad rush and lack of basic amenities. We have been standing here since the last 14 hours and there is no drinking water provision,” alleged a ticket buyer. A native of Baripada said he arrived at 3 am and such was the rush that he was not able to come out of the queue to even get some food.
Irate locals added to the challenge as they not only jostled but were also adamant not to leave the spot without getting their hands on the tickets. The police personnel struggled to control the massive crowd as the sale of offline tickets ended on the day itself.
The OCA had earlier informed that the counters would open for public on Wednesday and Thursday for sale of as many as 11,080 offline tickets. However, when the ticket sale commenced at 9 am on the day, an overwhelming rush led to chaos. The cricket fans criticised the Odisha Cricket Association for failing to handle the ticket distribution efficiently.
The ticket buyers had reportedly started arriving at Barabati Stadium from 8 pm on Tuesday and by the wee hours of the day, the number had significantly increased. They were asked to wait at the OCA ground till the morning.
Police had erected four barricades for as many counters and each had a length of 300 metre each. More than 20,000 people had gathered near the stadium to buy tickets and many more could be seen standing on the roads over a 500 metre stretch from the counters.
While two counters were set up for men, one each was opened for women and high-value ticket zones like the special enclosure, pavilion and others. All the tickets were sold out by 5 pm and the police had a tough time asking the disappointed to return to their homes.
Police, however, claimed very few people required medical assistance on the day. “Only few minor injuries were reported and at least one person was rushed to a hospital. Adequate security arrangements like deployment of 27 platoons of police force and additional five platoons from Bhubaneswar was made to ensure the ticket sale went off smoothly,” said Cuttack DCP, Jagmohan Meena.
There is palpable excitement among cricket fans as an international tie is taking place at Barabati Stadium after a gap of over two years. The last time the hosts had locked horns with South Africa in a T-20 match was on June 12, 2022. Apart from the long gap, people are also elated as skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli are part of the India-England ODI series.