Extra tickets are available for the sold-out blockbuster T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan in New York, perhaps one of the most anticipated cricket matches of all time.
But there's a catch. The ICC recently announced that hospitality tickets, including food and drink, will be available for all eight group matches in New York, including the India-Pakistan match.
Hospitality tickets start at $2,000 and highlight the absolute frenzy of cricket's most passionate rivalry between the nuclear-armed nations, who rarely play each other on the cricket field.
This is in contrast to other matches in New York, where premium tickets are sold for $300 for the match between India and host United States, while hospitality tickets start at $600.
The India-Pakistan match received more than 200 times more entries than the public voting quota, making it the hottest ticket of the tournament, as expected.
Ticket prices range from $175 to $400, but are currently being resold at exorbitant prices. Resale tickets on StubHub are currently on sale starting at $1,700 and up.
Construction of the 34,000-seat modular Nassau County Stadium at Eisenhower Park, 30 miles east of Manhattan, is nearing completion, the International Cricket Council recently announced.
The four drop-in pitches have been installed in the final stages of the rapid development of the ground, which began construction just over three months ago. The T20 World Cup begins on June 1 with the opening match between USA and Canada in Dallas, putting pressure on the ICC and tournament organizers.
New York's first match will be against South Africa against Sri Lanka on June 3, and the cricket stadium is being built specifically for the tournament. As I recently exclusively reported, the field is expected to cost about $30 million to build, and tournament officials are confident they will recoup their investment through ticket sales and hospitality.
It is understood that discussions are taking place about third party use of the ground after the T20 World Cup.
Finding suitable infrastructure in New York proved difficult, and initial plans to develop a 34,000-seat stadium at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx fell through.
Eisenhower Park, a park dedicated to sports and events, is tasked with hosting this mega-event with great expectations, driven by the ICC's deep-rooted desire to penetrate the world's largest sports market. There have been some grand ideas over the years to bring cricket to New York, but now it's a reality.
The development of this area, led by architectural design firm Populous, is attracting attention. The grandstand previously used for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix will be reused and all matches will be held during the day without floodlights. Drop-In Pitch was built in Florida under the guidance of Damien Hough, an experienced curator based in Adelaide, Australia.
Dallas and Lauderhill, Florida will be the other US host cities, with the final stage of the tournament taking place entirely in the Caribbean.
The T20 World Cup, the biggest cricket event of the year, is expected to provide momentum for the crucial second season of Major League Cricket, America's lucrative professional cricket tournament.
As we reported last week, the salary cap will not be raised, but player salaries will remain at the top of the T20 Pro League. As we first reported, MLC's debut season exceeded its financial goals with $8 million in revenue.
The six-team MLC will be held from July 5th to 28th.