India vs Australia: ‘Is there a scam?’ Internet fumes over empty stands in ODI World Cup match

The visuals on social media showing empty stands at Chennai's MA Chidambaram stadium, during the blockbuster India vs Australia ODI World Cup 2023 clash on October 8, left the internet fuming. Few among the social media users also asked if there was a “scam” in the sale of tickets.

MA Chidambaram stadium, also known as the Chepauk stadium, has a capacity of around 50,000. The venue has been jam-packed during several games of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The sale of tickets for India vs Australia match was sold out "within 10 minutes", CricTracker reported. Citing this, the fans on internet asked how could the stands in the stadium be empty, when the tickets have been sold out.

“Who’s scamming the sale of the cricket World Cup tickets? Tickets sold out and empty stands. Is it even possible in India?” veteran journalist Swati Chaturvedi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Another social media user also posted the same question.

Prashant Kumar, another journalist, suggested that an inquiry should be launched into the matter. “The sale of tickets this World Cup will be one of the biggest scams if investigated. It says sold everywhere but there’s obviously no full house as we see it on TV. Who’s responsible?” he posted on X.

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Fans shared photos of the empty stands on social media, as they continued to raise questions over the alleged irregularities in the sale of tickets.

The match with Australia, currently underway, is also India's first match in the marquee tournament. It was expected to be witnessed by a full house of vibrant spectators.

Earlier, empty stands at the stadium were also seen during the tournament opener played between England and New Zealand on October 5, at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, India appeared to be in a dominating position in the encounter against Australia, at the time of publishing this report. The visitors were struggling at 186/8 in 47.4 overs in the first inning, in what appeared to be a decent batting track.