Indore (Madhya Pradesh) Former BJP councillor Sanjay Kataria, along with several cricket fans, approached the Jansunvai held at the Collector’s Office on Tuesday and submitted a complaint to Collector Shivam Verma, demanding a thorough probe into how 27,000 tickets for the One Day International (ODI) cricket match held in the city were sold out within just one minute.
In the complaint letter, Kataria—himself a cricket enthusiast—stated that all the complainants are residents of Indore and avid cricket fans who have been watching matches in the city for years. Earlier, cricket lovers could purchase tickets on a first-come, first-served basis from ticket counters or through other transparent means.
The complaint further mentioned that Maharani Usha Raje Holkar of Indore had generously donated a large parcel of land for the construction of the Holkar Stadium, while several organisations also contributed financially. The people of Indore have consistently supported the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA). However, cricket fans are now disappointed as they are being kept away from international matches and IPL games held in their own city.
Despite Holkar Stadium having a seating capacity of over 27,000, every match reportedly draws more spectators than the official capacity, raising questions about where and how tickets are being sold. While the MPCA advertises online ticket booking, the complainants questioned how all tickets could be sold out within a minute, calling it “nothing short of magic.”
Kataria urged the authorities to consider the sentiments of cricket fans and investigate how tickets continued to be shown as sold even after the ticket-selling website was reportedly closed. He also alleged that low-priced tickets were openly sold in the market at exorbitant rates, demanding a probe into black marketing as well.
