India vs Pakistan: Eager fans brave surge in travel costs for T20 World Cup

Mumbai, India — When the Pakistan government reversed its eleventh-hour boycott order and confirmed its team’s place in Sunday’s T20 World Cup showdown, travel apps across India lit up with notifications no fan wanted to see: airfares to Colombo had tripled, five-star rooms had jumped past US$1,000 a night, and the virtual ticket queue already stretched into its fourth hour.

Yet within minutes of the announcement, credit cards were swiped, leave applications filed, and WhatsApp groups renamed “Colombo or bust.” For supporters of the Men in Blue, the chance to watch India face Pakistan in a neutral-venue World Cup match outweighed every surcharge.

“Beating Pakistan feels like a moral victory—it’s more than a cricket match,” said Aditya Chheda, 32, a Mumbai finance professional who paid roughly 50 percent above the usual fare despite booking a month early and accepting a layover. A nonstop round-trip from Mumbai to Colombo, typically around US$275, was listing above US$1,000 barely 48 hours before the first ball at R Premadasa Stadium. The hour-long hop from Chennai climbed from US$165 to at least US$550, while Bengaluru departures tracked similar spikes.

Accommodation mirrored the frenzy. Star-grade properties priced rooms anywhere from US$400 to US$1,000 for Saturday-to-Monday stays, the window when Indian spectators are expected to arrive and depart. Parth Chauhan, a cybersecurity specialist from Bengaluru, secured reasonable flights by planning early; friends who followed days later absorbed fares three times the normal rate. All endured a four-hour online wait for match tickets. “It’s an opportune moment,” Chauhan shrugged. “I’m watching India abroad for the first time.”

For a handful, the surprise went the other way. IT professional Piyush Nathani snagged a US$5 seat—loose change in a fixture that commands millions in broadcast and sponsorship revenue. “This is the cheapest ticket I’ve ever purchased,” laughed the 29-year-old, part of a six-member friends group. Having witnessed India’s 50-over World Cup win over Pakistan in Ahmedabad last year, Nathani is eager for the neutral-venue atmosphere where Indian and Pakistani fans will share the same stands. “The feeling of beating Pakistan is something money cannot buy,” he said.

Geopolitics has always framed this rivalry; this edition added logistical drama. Until Pakistan’s government relented six days before game day, the tournament’s marquee contest risked cancellation. The reprieve triggered the late scramble that sent prices skyward and left travel agents fielding calls until midnight. Still, flights filled, hotel inventory vanished, and virtual queues grew, proof that for Indian supporters the equation is simple: if India meets Pakistan in a World Cup, no surcharge is too steep.

Chheda, fresh from watching India lift the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, sees Colombo as the natural sequel. “When there’s a World Cup, the first thing Indian fans hope for is to beat Pakistan,” he said. On Sunday, thousands who stretched their budgets—and patience—will cram into R Premadasa to see if that hope becomes the opening chapter of another trophy run.