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India v Pakistan at the MCG sells out in five minutes

Ticket allocations for T20 World Cup matches at the MCG and SCG already exhausted long before the start of Australia's title defence

Tickets allocations for this year's men's T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground sold out within five minutes of going on sale to the general public on Monday.

And such is the pull of India's team, tickets available for their second group game at the SCG also sold out on Monday, despite their opponent not yet being known.

Tickets for the tournament, which will be held at seven Australian venues between October 16 and November 13 this year, are now on sale to the public after 200,000 tickets were snapped up during the pre-sale period.

Image Id: 932BEF504BEA496AB51B6539D012DE7C Image Caption: India and Pakistan fans in Dubai last year // Getty

Unsurprisingly, the October 23 match between rivals India and Pakistan – who don't currently play bilateral cricket due to security concerns – was immensely popular and ticket allocations were exhausted within five minutes of going on sale.

The two sides last met on Australian soil at the Adelaide Oval during the 2015 ODI World Cup, a match that also sold out in just minutes.

India's game against South Africa at the MCG during that tournament, when more than 86,000 attended, offers a preview of what is sure to be a bumper crowd of close to 90,000 people.

Tickets for a SCG double-header on October 27, which will see South Africa face Bangladesh before India take on a qualifier in the evening, were also exhausted shortly after going on sale on Monday.

Hospitality and travel packages will still be available for both matches, while fans are encouraged to join the waitlist to be informed should further tickets become available.

Image Id: C712F7F910634F678C7A3147AE40D1BF Image Caption: 86,000 fans watched India take on South Africa at the MCG in 2015 // Getty

Tickets for the tournament start at $5 for children and $20 for adults.

Tournament CEO Michelle Enright said while most tickets so far have been purchased by Australian residents, she's hopeful the imminent re-opening of Australia's borders will encourage international tourists to attend the event.

"We know that so far our ticket purchasers are predominantly residing in Australia, so to have two match-days with General Ticket allocations all sold that feature India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa shows the passion for cricket from fans in those communities," she said.

"With news of Australian borders starting to open to visitors from February 21, the timing is perfect for fans around the world to start planning a trip to Australia and be part of a global cricket celebration later this year."

Other matches to sell strongly so far are Australia's tournament opener against New Zealand in Sydney on October 22, their match against England at the MCG on October 28 and the tournament final in Melbourne on November 13.

Australia will play games in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, in that order, before the semi-finals are held in Sydney and Adelaide.

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This year's tournament will again feature 16 teams and be run in the same Super 12 format as the previous edition held in the UAE last October-November.

The Australian team that won their first ever T20 World Cup in Dubai last year have been grouped with New Zealand, England, Afghanistan and two teams that will come through first round of the tournament.

India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and two further teams from the first round will make up the second group.

Tickets for the 2022 T20 World Cup can be purchased here

Men's T20 World Cup 2022

First round

Group A: Sri Lanka, Namibia, two qualifiers

Group B: West Indies, Scotland, two qualifiers

Super 12 stage

Group 1: Australia, Afghanistan, England, New Zealand, A1, B2

Group 2: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, B1, A2

Australia's T20 World Cup 2022 fixtures

Oct 22: v New Zealand, SCG, 6pm AEDT

Oct 25: v A1, Optus Stadium, 10pm AEDT

Oct 28: v England, MCG, 7pm AEDT

Oct 31: v B2, Gabba, 7pm AEDT

Nov 4: v Afghanistan, Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

Semi-finals

Nov 9: SCG, 7pm AEDT

Nov 10: Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

Final

Nov 13: MCG, 7pm AEDT