Cricket fever has gripped the city in the run-up to the knockout clash between India and West Indies at Eden Gardens this Sunday.

The T20 World Cup began three weeks ago, and Eden has already hosted several matches. But none of those fixtures featured the Men in Blue, and ticket demand had been modest.

With India set to play its first match in the cricket-crazy city, the mood has shifted dramatically. Excitement surged further after India’s 72-run win over Zimbabwe on
Thursday, keeping the team in contention for a semi-final berth.

The buzz returned to the box office at the Mohammedan Sporting Club on Friday. During the five league matches Eden hosted earlier in the tournament, the counters
had seen sparse footfall. Small groups of spectators would drop by to inquire about tickets, but the queues were thin and enthusiasm measured.

On Friday, however, the scene was entirely different. Crowds had formed well before the counters opened, eager to collect tickets for Sunday’s high-profile clash.

Fans pick up Team India jerseys at the Mohammedan Sporting Club on Friday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

“We opened the counter around 11am on Friday. Many people had lined up even before we began issuing tickets. There is strong demand for this match, and most of the online tickets are already sold out. We are only issuing tickets booked through the online platform,” a representative at a counter said.

Among the excited fans was a group of three friends from Jadavpur, set to watch their first-ever international match together at Eden Gardens.

“We are childhood friends. We have all watched matches at Eden Gardens individually. This is the first time we are going to watch a match from the stands together,” said Romit Sengupta, a sports analyst based in Hyderabad.

A senior official from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) said: “The draw did not schedule any of India’s group league matches in Calcutta, so the demand was naturally not sky-high. Matches like England versus Scotland and a few others still saw decent turnout. Now, with India taking the field on Sunday, the demand has skyrocketed.”

“My phone has been ringing non-stop — three out of four calls are requests for tickets. A full house is certain,” the CAB official added.

Eden Gardens has a seating capacity of around 67,000.

Many fans travelled from near and far to collect tickets booked online. Anubhab Sarkar came from Siliguri with his family.

“I have watched several matches at Eden Gardens. This is the first time I will be watching a match here with my family,” he said.

Amit Gupta, 49, who came from College Street to collect tickets, said he would be at the match with his 20-year-old daughter. He said the Eden game would be historic.

“Watching a match at Eden Gardens is always special. Eden Gardens is hosting the Indian team for the first time in this T20 World Cup season.”

Some cricket lovers reported glitches with the online ticketing platform and demanded offline sales. However, representatives at the counter denied such requests. A notice was later pasted outside the box office stating: “No offline sales for March 1.”

The cricket fever has also boosted businesses. Biddan Sarkar, who was selling Indian and West Indies t-shirts and caps, said business had picked up after a slow run during the league phase. “I sold around 15 t-shirts by 2pm on Friday. Since Eden did not host any India matches earlier, business was slow. But after many days, I managed to sell more than 10 t-shirts,” he said.