Dubai, Sep 15, 2022, IANS

Dubai, Sep 15 (IANS) The ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan has been sold out with just over a month left for the mega event in Australia, the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed on Thursday.

Tickets for the Super 12 clash between India and Pakistan will meet at Melbourne on October 23 were sold within minutes, "with additional standing room tickets snapped up within minutes of going on sale," the ICC said in a statement.

Fans from 82 different countries have purchased tickets to watch the world's best players from 16 international teams, marking the return of full stadiums at ICC events for the first time since the Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, which culminated with 86,174 fans for the final at the MCG, the ICC informed.

A key reason for this enthusiasm for purchasing tickets, according to the ICC, is the accessible pricing for families that has seen over 85,000 children's tickets sold. Tickets for kids are priced at just $5 for all First Round and Super 12 matches while those for adults start from $20.

The ICC said many other matches too have been sold out for the marquee event that will kick off with qualifiers from October 16.

"Current ticket allocations are also all sold for the double-header at the SCG on October 27 featuring South Africa v Bangladesh and India v Group A runner-up. Fans are encouraged to join the waitlist in the event of additional tickets becoming available," the ICC said.

It said an official re-sale platform will be launched closer to the event, where fans can exchange tickets at face value.

Only a very limited number of tickets remain for Australia's opening Super 12 fixture against New Zealand at the SCG on October 22, the double-header featuring Pakistan v Group A runner-up and India v South Africa at Perth Stadium on October 30, and Pakistan v South Africa at the SCG on November 3.

Tickets are still available for most matches, the ICC said asking fans to act now to secure their seats at t20worldcup.com.

ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: "We are delighted by the uptake of tickets for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with over 500,000 already being snapped up. The excitement is really building with just over a month to go and this World Cup is set to be an unmissable event. There are still some tickets available to buy, so fans should make sure they secure theirs while they are still available."

Michelle Enright, CEO, ICC Men's T20 World Cup was elated with fans' response to ticket sales.

"The response from fans has been exceptional and shows the excitement for what will be the biggest sporting event hosted in Australia this year.

"We've also seen a spread of support for different teams across the event, which is going to make for an incredible atmosphere at our matches with a strong mix of passionate fans at each venue.

"We're particularly proud of our accessibly priced tickets for families and it's great to see that so many kids are going to come out and experience a World Cup.

"There are still some great tickets available, so I'd encourage everyone who hasn't secured their seats to jump on board for what will be an unmissable event."