The cost of watching the Indian Premier League has increased following the new GST structure announced on Wednesday, April 3rd. Tickets to games will now be taxed at 40% instead of 28% under the new structure, which goes into effect on September 22, 2025. Cricket fans nationwide will see a major price increase as a result of the steep increase, which puts IPL tickets in the highest GST slab alongside luxury goods, racetracks, and casinos.
During the earlier regime, a ₹1,000 IPL ticket attracted 28% GST, taking the total to ₹1,280. With the new 40% rate, the same ticket will now cost ₹1,400. That’s ₹120 more for every ₹1,000 spent a 12% increase in effective cost.
IPL ticket cost under the new GST structure
₹500 ticket will now costs ₹700 instead of ₹640, a ₹60 increase
₹1,000 ticket will now costs ₹1,400 instead of ₹1,280, a ₹120 increase
₹2,000 ticket will now costs ₹2,800 instead of ₹2,560, a ₹240 increase
How does the new GST strucrture Indian Premier League?
The new tax rate lumps the IPL and other high-value sporting events together with industries that have historically been viewed as luxury or non-essential. This represents a substantial change in the taxation of sports entertainment, tying match viewing to the use of products like tobacco or services like betting.
The hike makes a clear distinction between commercial tournaments and grassroots sports, even though the GST Council has framed the move under revenue alignment. The IPL and other premium leagues are particularly impacted by the 40% rate because tickets to regular cricket matches are still only 18%.
