India vs Pakistan World Cup 2027 Tickets: 8.4 Million Requests for 34,000 Seats, and How the ICC Ballot Works

India vs Pakistan World Cup 2027 tickets are the most wanted in the sport: the match has drawn 8,397,294 requests, more than the final. The ICC said on Monday (2 November) that the group match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 10 October 2027 is the most requested game of the tournament so far, ahead of the final at the same ground on 21 November (7,900,944 requests). The Wanderers holds about 34,000 people, so roughly one request in 250 can be met even if every seat went through the ballot.

If you are one of the Indian fans hoping to go, here is how the ticket ballot works, the key dates and what the numbers really mean.

Figures from the ICC, as reported by BBC Sport, Al Jazeera and The Times of India, for applications received up to 1 November 2026.

CWC 2027 ticket demand in numbers

The ICC says South Africa, the United Kingdom, India, the United States and Australia lead the registrations, and fans in Africa, including the hosts, account for 14.9 million applications.

Requests are not people

A "request" is one entry for one match, and every fan can enter for many matches. So 120 million requests from about 2.8 million fans means the average fan has asked for tickets to a lot of games. The 8.4 million figure for India vs Pakistan does not mean 8.4 million different people want to be in Johannesburg, but it still shows the fixture is the hottest ticket in the sport.

How the CWC 2027 ticket ballot works

Based on the official ticketing site, tickets.cricketworldcup.com:

1. Entry is free. You do not pay anything when you register for the ballot.
2. One entry per person per match. You can enter for as many matches as you like, but duplicate entries for the same match are invalid; only the first valid one counts.
3. Up to four tickets per match. That is the standard maximum you can request, unless a match has a different limit. Asking for four does not guarantee four.
4. It is not first-come, first-served. Entering on the last day gives you the same chance as entering on the first.
5. Random draw if demand is too high. For matches like India vs Pakistan, successful applicants are picked at random.
6. Results by email. Winners get an email explaining how to buy; unsuccessful applicants are told too.
7. Deadline: the ballot closes at 23:59 South African time on 21 November 2026, which is 3:29 AM IST on 22 November.

The terms also say the ballot is for individual fans only, and that nobody is allowed to sell a ballot place or a "guaranteed" allocation. Only use the official site. Be very wary of anyone selling India vs Pakistan World Cup tickets right now: the ballot has not even allocated any yet.

The 2027 World Cup at a glance

• Hosts: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; Namibia stage men's World Cup matches for the first time.
• Dates: 7 October to 21 November 2027, 57 matches at 12 venues.
• Opening match: Australia vs India, a repeat of the 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
• India's group: Australia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier.
• Other group: New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and a qualifier.
• Format: the top three in each group plus the best fourth-placed team go into a Super 7 stage, and the top four from there reach the semi-finals (BBC Sport).

So India and Pakistan could meet up to three times: in the group, in the Super 7 and in the final.

Why the Wanderers matters to Indian fans

This is the ground where India beat Pakistan in the first T20 World Cup final in 2007, and where Australia beat India by 125 runs in the 2003 World Cup final. The World Cup returns to Africa for the first time since that 2003 edition.

India have won their last nine matches against Pakistan, according to BBC Sport, and Pakistan's last win over India came at the 2022 Asia Cup. The two teams have met recently in other formats too, for example at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026.

India's road to 2027 has already started

India are using this season to build their 50-over side. The current five-match ODI series in New Zealand is part of that (our NZ vs IND 1st ODI preview and India's ODI squad), and the India A side going to the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha includes several possible World Cup players, and has an India A vs Pakistan Shaheens game on 22 November.

Quick answers

• Is the ballot free? Yes, nothing is paid at registration.
• Does applying early help? No, it is not first-come, first-served.
• How many tickets can I ask for? Up to four per match.
• When does it close? 21 November 2026, 23:59 SAST (3:29 AM IST, 22 November).
• Where do I apply? Only on the official ICC ticketing site.

Sources: ICC via BBC Sport, Al Jazeera and The Times of India; ballot rules and terms from tickets.cricketworldcup.com.