Close to 40 percent of tickets of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, some 250 km from the state capital — with a seating capacity of 22,000 — remained unsold till Wednesday.
The ODI between India and South Africa on Thursday may be held in an empty stadium due to the coronavirus scare. Around 58 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported so far in the country and the picturesque stadium could wear an empty look as the two teams fight it out in the first game of the three-match series.
Close to 40 percent of tickets of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, some 250 km from the state capital — with a seating capacity of 22,000 — remained unsold till Wednesday, match organisers told IANS.
The officials said that in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, cricket buffs, largely foreigners, are trying to take precautionary measures by restricting themselves on traveling and attending public gatherings. Leaving the fear of foreigners aside, even the corporate houses in India preferred to give the stadium a miss.
“Hardly two-three corporate boxes have been sold out this time,” said an HPCA functionary. The stadium, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, has 12 corporate boxes, each having a seating capacity of 20 seats. Each box costs around Rs 2,00,000 per match and they were much in demand in all the previous matches, both international and T20.
On Tuesday, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal had posted a photo of himself with a face mask before heading for the city.
Match organisers also said that a weather alert, which forecast rains, has further discouraged a large section of Indian fans from witnessing the match. Also, the match is not happening on a weekend.
In an attempt to stop rain from playing spoilsport, officials offered their prayers at the Indrunag Temple dedicated to the rain god in the hills overlooking the stadium to appease the gods. Cricket fans too participated in the prayers. A special community kitchen was also organised there.
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