ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final in Gujarat: Ahmedabad police crack down on ticket touts, five arrested

Ahmedabad: As excitement builds for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, police have stepped up enforcement against ticket touts. Five people were arrested amid complaints of overpriced re-sales and suspected counterfeit tickets online and outside the stadium. Officials said patrolling teams were deployed around Gate No. 1 and Gate No. 2 to curb illegal resale. On March 6, during late-evening rounds near the Metro station, police acted on specific information and detained Vansh Shah, 18, a resident of Vasna, for allegedly selling two final-match tickets for Rs 22,000 even though the printed price was Rs 2,000 each. Two tickets were seized and a case was registered under provisions of the Gujarat Police Act for unauthorised sale and black-marketing.
In a separate operation, Sabarmati police arrested Pruthvi Patni, 19, near Meldi Pan Parlour at Acher Crossroads. Police alleged Patni was selling tickets purchased online for Rs 2,000 at Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. Eight tickets were recovered from him.Chandkheda police also arrested Dilawar Valiya, 28, a resident of Ambala in Haryana, after a raid in which two tickets were seized. Police said he was attempting to sell them at a higher rate than the printed price.The city crime branch apprehended two more suspects, Vipin Bhati from Jodhpur and Ritik Yadav from Mumbai, near the Usmanpura Gujarat Vidyapith ST bus stand. Police recovered eight tickets and said the duo had booked them online in advance and were selling them at around three times the original price, demanding Rs 10,000 per ticket.The crackdown follows public complaints about ticket scams, including a report of a buyer paying Rs 60,000 for two tickets lacking a logo or stamp, raising suspicion they were counterfeit. The buyer, however, did not want to pursue a formal complaint. Police said black-marketing has expanded to social media, with listings ranging from Rs 15,000 to over Rs 1 lakh, and warned about colour photocopies and altered details. Officials urged fans to buy only through authorised channels and said all tickets will be scanned at entry.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !