With less than a day left for the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 final between India and South Africa, chaos over ticket sales created frustration among fans. Outside Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, long queues stretched for hours on Saturday. Some fans reportedly waited for more than 36 hours hoping to buy tickets.

Despite the growing crowd, there was no clear communication from the organisers about when offline ticket sales would start. The uncertainty only added to the confusion.

Online Tickets Sold Out in Minutes

Online ticket sales weren’t smooth either. Before India even confirmed their spot in the final, a portion of online tickets had already been sold. Fans waiting for BookMyShow sales were left disappointed as the website didn’t open sales for a long time. Once tickets went live, they were gone within minutes. Soon after, the “sold out” message appeared on the event page, leaving thousands of fans ticketless.

Tickets Reappear at High Prices on Other Sites

Amid the chaos, some tickets appeared on resale websites like Viagogo, but at shocking prices. While official ticket prices started at just ₹150,listings on Viagogo ranged from ₹6,500 to over ₹1.3 lakh. The site even showed tickets for “Section VIP B L1” priced at ₹1,36,187. The steep rise sparked outrage among fans, who accused resellers of exploiting the demand.

BCCI Plans Equal Cash Reward for Women’s Team

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s cricket team stands on the brink of history as they prepare to face South Africa in the final. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly considering a massive cash reward for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team if they lift the trophy on Sunday.

According to sources, the BCCI plans to offer the same reward that the Rohit Sharma-led men’s team received after their T20 World Cup triumph in 2024 — a total of ₹125 crore distributed among players and support staff.

A senior BCCI official told PTI, “The BCCI supports equal pay for men and women and hence there are lot of discussions that if our girls win the World Cup, the reward won't be anything less compared to men's global triumph. But it isn't nice to make an announcement before they win the Cup.”

Past Rewards and Possible Record Prize

In 2017, when the Indian women’s team narrowly lost the World Cup final to England by nine runs at Lord’s, each player received ₹50 lakh from the BCCI. The head coach Tushar Arothe and support staff were also rewarded handsomely.

Now, eight years later, if India wins the 2025 World Cup, the prize money could be nearly ten times higher. The BCCI’s move would mark a historic step toward true equality in Indian cricket.

While ticket chaos dampened the excitement outside the stadium, anticipation remains sky-high for the final. The BCCI’s equal reward plan underscores how far women’s cricket has come — and how much a World Cup victory could mean for the sport in India.