T20 World Cup 2026: IND vs PAK Ticket Frenzy Crashes Booking Platform

IND vs PAK: The countdown to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 sparked extraordinary excitement on Wednesday as tickets for the marquee India-Pakistan encounter in Sri Lanka went on sale.

The arch-rivals, drawn together in Group A, are set to renew their storied rivalry on February 15 in Colombo, instantly becoming the most coveted fixture of the tournament.

The release of the second phase of ticket sales for the World Cup ignited a frenzy among cricket fans. Within minutes of going live, tens of thousands attempted to secure seats for the blockbuster showdown, overwhelming the BookMyShow platform responsible for ticket distribution. The surge in traffic proved too heavy, causing the website and mobile app to crash almost immediately.

According

to PTI, the unprecedented demand centered almost entirely around the India-Pakistan clash. The sudden spike in logins and purchases triggered technical breakdowns. "Several users reported failed transactions and long waiting times. The volume of concurrent requests caused the platform's servers to crash," a source told the agency, highlighting the scale of the rush.

The chaotic ticketing episode once again demonstrated the unmatched global pull of the India-Pakistan rivalry. No other match in world cricket commands such widespread interest, and the anticipation for their first meeting of the tournament has only intensified.

The T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. India begin their campaign on the opening day against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Pakistan, meanwhile, kick off the tournament in Colombo against the Netherlands.

India's group journey includes fixtures against Namibia in Delhi on February 12 and the Netherlands in Ahmedabad after their high-stakes battle against Pakistan. Pakistan will remain stationed in Colombo for all their group-stage matches, facing the USA on February 10 before taking on their biggest rivals on February 15, and concluding their group stage against Namibia.

As fans await ticketing platform restorations, the early chaos serves as a reminder of the colossal interest the tournament-and especially India vs Pakistan-commands every time the two sides meet on the global stage.