Ahmedabad, March 7 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested two men for allegedly black marketing tickets for the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on March 8.

According to the Crime Branch, officials received information that tickets for the high-profile final were being sold at inflated prices in the city.

Acting on the tip-off, a team laid a trap near the ST pick-up bus stand close to Gujarat Vidyapith in the Usmanpura area.

During surveillance in the vicinity, two individuals were found moving in suspicious circumstances. Police cordoned them off and conducted a search, during which a total of eight tickets for the final match were recovered from their possession.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had booked the tickets online in advance and were attempting to sell them illegally a day before the match.

According to the Crime Branch, the tickets were being sold at three times their original price, with the accused allegedly demanding Rs 10,000 per ticket.

The two accused have been identified as Vipin Bhati, a resident of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, and Ritik Yadav, who resides in Versova in Mumbai and is originally from Madhya Pradesh.

Officials confirmed that all eight tickets recovered from them have been seized and legal action has been initiated.

“They are not residents of Ahmedabad or elsewhere in Gujarat and had come to the city specifically to sell the tickets. We are verifying where they were staying and whether they have been involved in similar cases of selling tickets for major matches in the past. Preliminary information suggests they had already sold around 10 to 12 tickets for the World Cup final,” an official told IANS.

Further investigation is under way to determine whether additional persons are involved in the alleged network involved in ticket black marketing.

The arrests come a day before the final match, which will be played between India and New Zealand in the city.

The final match is expected to attract thousands of spectators to the stadium, which is the largest cricket venue in the world and has hosted several major international fixtures.

Authorities have also announced extensive security and traffic arrangements in the city ahead of the match.

Ahmedabad Police have issued a traffic advisory stating that restrictions around the stadium area will come into force from 10 a.m. on March 8 and will remain in place until midnight, with the period extended until 2 a.m. on March 9 to manage post-match traffic.

Key stretches around the stadium will remain closed to regular traffic during the notified period, with access limited to vehicles holding valid passes.

More than 800 traffic police personnel will be deployed to regulate vehicular movement and assist spectators arriving for the match, while alternative routes have been designated for commuters travelling through the area.

--IANS

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