WATCH - Long queues in Cuttack's Barbati stadium to buy tickets for India-South Africa T20 match

Cuttack: Cricket lovers including women have been seen standing in long queues in front the Barabati Stadium here since Wednesday night to buy tickets for the T20 cricket match between India and South Africa scheduled to be held on June 12 next.

Around ten platoons of security personnel have been deployed around the stadium for maintaining law and order and for the smooth sale of tickets.

Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Sanjay Behera said a total of 12,093 tickets will be available for the general public to be bought at various counters across the premises of Barabati Stadium.

This time OCA has opened nine counters for the smooth sale of the tickets. For the first time, OCA has set up two counters for the sale of tickets to women.

Out of the allocated total tickets, 1362 high-value tickets and 10,731 gallery tickets will also be available for the general public.

The ticket sale started at 9 AM and will continue till 6 PM. Each person is allowed to purchase a maximum of 2 tickets of any denomination by providing a valid Government ID proof (Voter ID, Aadhar Card).

Earlier 5,000 tickets were sold online and 8,000 tickets were sold to various affiliated units of the Odisha Cricket Association over the last 2 days.

Barabati stadium has a capacity of 44,234. Out of which 29,154 tickets were kept for sale including 5,000 online and 8,000 to OCA affiliated units.

But following the rise in demand for high-value tickets, around 4,000 tickets for the corporate sector (AC Box and Corporator Box) were sold in advance.

The players are scheduled to arrive at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar on Friday. Arrangements have been made for their stay at the Mayfair hotel here in Bhubaneswar.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made all along the route from the Airport to the hotel where the players would stay. Official sources said 21 platoons of Police forces would be deployed around the hotel for the security of the players.

Arrangements have also been made escorting the players from the hotel to the stadium amid tight security. (UNI)