Mumbai: The Gujarati business community in Mumbai is alleged to be responsible for the sky-high prices of tickets for the final. It is understood they have offered huge sums of money to get the tickets for the final at any cost.
Only 4,000 tickets were available for the public from the counters, after the distribution among sponsors and cricket board members.
It is said a ticket has even been purchased for 100,000 rupees (Dh8,262.98). Some tour packages offered a one day trip for 50,000 rupees per person that included not only a ticket for the match but also a brunch at Hotel Taj where both teams are put up.
Many Non-Resident Indians (NRI) from the UAE and US have come for the match offering good money for the tickets. But the special passes for the VVIP area required that you have your fingerprints taken.
Sharad Pawar, the ICC President and Dilip Vengsarkar, who is the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Board even had to get their fingerprints scanned.
Heavily guarded
As Wankhede is next to the Western Railway track, one could see railway police heavily guarding the area around the stadium.
Security checks for entry were similar to the one at airports. Initially they announced that laptops would not be allowed into the stadium. Finally, a top official had to be contacted to get the clearance.
All bags and laptops had to go through the X-ray machine for screening. The press box was packed with reporters from around the world.
One building overlooks the stadium and the residents could be seen enjoying the match free of cost.
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan with his moustache sat in the front row, right above third man. He was seen waving at cricketers near the boundary line.
When Tillekaratne Dilshan was batting, some of the fans kept calling him "Pallu". Dilshan has figured with actress Anjali Zaveeri in an television advertisement in which she teaches him how to put on a saree like his trademark shot known as the ‘Dil scoop'.
When someone in the press box remarked that this final would be the mother of all battles, another scribe corrected him saying: "The mother of all battles got over in Mohali. This is the mother-in-law of all battles."
Mother-in-law
He was referring to Muttiah Muralitharan's in-law's dilemma. Muralitharan has married from Chennai and his mother-in-law told reporters in Chennai that she will support India and Muralitharan.
The increase in viewership for the World Cup has resulted in broadcasters ESPN hiking up their spot advertisement rates for the final. For a ten second advertisement spot on their channel, they are said to have charged around 2.5 million rupees.
Only 4,000 tickets were available for the public from the counters, after the distribution among sponsors and cricket board members.
It is said a ticket has even been purchased for 100,000 rupees (Dh8,262.98). Some tour packages offered a one day trip for 50,000 rupees per person that included not only a ticket for the match but also a brunch at Hotel Taj where both teams are put up.
Many Non-Resident Indians (NRI) from the UAE and US have come for the match offering good money for the tickets. But the special passes for the VVIP area required that you have your fingerprints taken.
Sharad Pawar, the ICC President and Dilip Vengsarkar, who is the vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Board even had to get their fingerprints scanned.
Heavily guarded
As Wankhede is next to the Western Railway track, one could see railway police heavily guarding the area around the stadium.
Security checks for entry were similar to the one at airports. Initially they announced that laptops would not be allowed into the stadium. Finally, a top official had to be contacted to get the clearance.
All bags and laptops had to go through the X-ray machine for screening. The press box was packed with reporters from around the world.
One building overlooks the stadium and the residents could be seen enjoying the match free of cost.
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan with his moustache sat in the front row, right above third man. He was seen waving at cricketers near the boundary line.
When Tillekaratne Dilshan was batting, some of the fans kept calling him "Pallu". Dilshan has figured with actress Anjali Zaveeri in an television advertisement in which she teaches him how to put on a saree like his trademark shot known as the ‘Dil scoop'.
When someone in the press box remarked that this final would be the mother of all battles, another scribe corrected him saying: "The mother of all battles got over in Mohali. This is the mother-in-law of all battles."
Mother-in-law
He was referring to Muttiah Muralitharan's in-law's dilemma. Muralitharan has married from Chennai and his mother-in-law told reporters in Chennai that she will support India and Muralitharan.
The increase in viewership for the World Cup has resulted in broadcasters ESPN hiking up their spot advertisement rates for the final. For a ten second advertisement spot on their channel, they are said to have charged around 2.5 million rupees.
