At a premium

Black marketeers have a field day, as IPL tickets vanish from counters. Touts rule the roost in virtual space too

As the mad scramble for IPL tickets is on, touts are scoring big and not just on the ticket window but also in the virtual space.


The upcoming match of Delhi Daredevils against the Royal Challengers
Bangalore will be held at Firozeshah Kotla on April 4.

Showing no respect to the law implementing agencies, black marketers have started posting their comments on the official IPL website seeking buyers for tickets to matches online at exorbitant prices, as most of the matches are sold out.u00a0 After cases of touts openly selling tickets to IPL matches in Mumbai and Bangalore surfaced, it is the turn of Delhi now.

The exhilarating ton by David Warner against the Kolkata Knight Riders has only helped the maddening rush for the tickets to the upcoming match of Delhi Daredevils against the Royal Challenges Bangalore to be played at Firozeshah Kotla on April 4.

Though tickets for the match have already been sold out, posts by touts on various blogs, forums and websites claim they can make the ticket available at a premium.
The search for 'DLF IPL Delhi Daredevils 2010 tickets' return more than 160 comments by such black marketers on the website - https://www.iplcricket.com/.

The comments are posted along with phone numbers and details of upcoming matches.
One of the post from a tout read: "300 wali tickets for 600 & platinum gallery tickets (AC VIP seats) available for 31 match between delhi & rajasthan."

When MiD DAY called up one such mobile number posing as customer, the tout who identified himself as Piyush said, "I have Rs 300 ticket and you can buy it for Rs 1200." When asked about the premium tickets Piyush replied, "I can make a ticket of Rs 10,000 available for Rs 13,000 anytime; all you need to do is tell me in advance and confirm the order." An official associated with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) explained that the process for selling tickets has been outsourced to GMR and the DDCA has no control over it.
u00a0
"We are taking all preventive measures to curb the sales of ticket in the black market. Even a team of Delhi police is deployed outside the ticket counter to check the same. But it is very difficult to keep a check on such practices on the Internet. But if a case comes to our knowledge, we will definitely take action."

Price list
RS 300 West stand 3 tier seats
Rs 500 East stand 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier
Rs 6000 South stand or Old club house ticket at Feroz Shah Kotla
Rs 10000 Platinum gallery