Cup is here not quite the thrill; on match eve, buzz muted, ticket demand low, fans still excited
Telegraph | 7 February 2026
Eden Gardens has been decked up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with West Indies set to take on minnows Scotland on Saturday, the opening day of the tournament at the venue. The first match of the competition will be played earlier in the day at Colombo, where Pakistan face the Netherlands.
A giant banner reading “Feel the thrill” hangs from the façade of Eden Gardens. But with hours to go for the game in the city, the thrill appeared muted. Officials of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) attributed the lack of buzz to the match schedule, which does not feature any of India’s group league fixtures at Eden.
There is, however, a strong possibility that the Men in Blue — the defending champions — could play a Super 8 match in Calcutta on March 1, should they qualify for the next round.
“The demand for tickets has not been very high so far. We are expecting around 15,000 spectators on Saturday. But as the tournament progresses and if India play well, the demand will go up,” said a CAB official.
Eden Gardens has a capacity of around 67,000.
On the eve of the match, ticket collection centres near the Mohammedan Sporting Club tent saw sparse footfall, with only a handful of buyers lining up. Cash tickets were also available for the upcoming fixtures at Eden.
“Before an India match, we hardly get any free time. But today, we have a lot of free time,” said a staffer at one of the counters managed by an online ticketing aggregator.
Among those who turned up were cricket lovers from various districts, many of whom said the chance to watch international cricket at the iconic venue remained special.
Biprajit Mondol, 32, a cricket instructor from Murshidabad, travelled to Calcutta to collect tickets for Saturday’s clash. “Scotland is a fresh team and it is equally important to watch new players. We don’t know how they will perform, and after all, T20 cricket is always unpredictable,” he said.
Scotland qualified for the biennial tournament after Bangladesh pulled out, citing security concerns.
The subdued atmosphere was also reflected in merchandise sales. Naba Das, who sells jerseys near the Mohammedan Sporting Club Ground, said he had managed to sell only one Team India jersey till 1.30pm on Friday. He had arrived at the venue around 11am from his Dum Dum home.
“I have sold only one jersey, with Virat Kohli’s name on it. He might not be playing here, but he is still the most popular star,” Das said.
For some fans, the return to Eden Gardens brought back memories of past World Cup classics. Arjun Saha, 35, from Kanchrapara in North 24-Parganas, said he felt nostalgic watching another global tournament match at the stadium nearly a decade later.
The last World Cup match he watched here was the 2016 World T20 final between West Indies and England, counted among the most memorable the stadium has hosted. Carlos Brathwaite smashed four sixes off Ben Stokes to win the trophy for the West Indies.
“It is one of the most memorable matches of my life. After almost 10 years, I am again getting the chance to watch a World Cup game from the iconic stands,” Saha said.
Gokul Mazumdar, 25, a security personnel at the Calcutta airport and a resident of Nadia, collected tickets for his friends on Friday. “I have collected tickets for six friends. They will be coming from Nadia. I want to see a tight contest and hope Scotland put up a decent performance,” he said.