Cricket fever has taken hold of Ahmedabad as the eagerly anticipated WorldCup group stage showdown between arch-rivals India and Pakistan approaches.The enthusiasm surrounding the match is evident from the surge in hospitaladmissions near the venue.
In preparation for the highly awaited game, numerous hospitals haveexperienced an unexpected influx of patients who have scheduled check-ups,including overnight stays, to coincide with the World Cup’s mostanticipated fixture. Many patients view this as a practical solution to theexorbitant hotel prices, which have skyrocketed up to 20 times the usualrates ahead of the match.
Medical professionals have observed a unique trend where individuals arecombining their visit to watch the India-Pakistan match with appointmentsfor health check-ups and hospital accommodations. Tushar Patel, Presidentof the Ahmedabad Medical Association, explained this phenomenon as acreative way to secure affordable lodging during the cricket event.
However, the Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association hasdiscouraged its members from entertaining such requests, emphasizing thathospitals are primarily intended for patients in need of medical care, notfor accommodating cricket fans.
The history between India and Pakistan, two Asian neighbors who have foughtthree wars since gaining independence in 1947, is marked by politicaltensions and conflicts. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which India attributed toa Pakistani militant group, further strained their relations. As a result,bilateral cricket matches between the two countries became infrequent,intensifying the appetite for a clash between these cricketing rivals,which primarily occurs in multi-team events.
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Both India and Pakistan have won their opening two matches at thetournament, setting the stage for an intense showdown. The high demand fortickets exemplified the excitement surrounding the game, with the firstbatch of tickets selling out within an hour in August. Subsequently, theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released an additional 14,000tickets earlier this month.
Ahmedabad resident Hemish Patel and his friends, after persistent efforts,managed to secure four tickets for the match, each costing 6,000 Indianrupees ($72.15). Patel described their strategy of logging into theticketing website with multiple devices and refreshing it constantly,eventually securing their tickets within ten minutes of the sales opening.