Sales of tickets for the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL), that will be held April 16-June 1, will start Thursday and these have been priced in the range of 20-50 dirhams depending on the venue.
While online sale through iplt20.com and ticketmaster.ae starts Thursday, tickets will also be available at selected Lulu Hypermarkets in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, from Sunday. Stadium box-office sales will start from April 10. The UAE leg of the IPL will witness 20 matches and will end April 30.
The minimum price for the Abu Dhabi matches is 20 dirhams for a single match, and 30 dirhams for double-headers. In Dubai, a ticket for one match will start at 30 dirhams, and 50 dirhams for double-headers, while Sharjah tickets have been priced at 30 dirhams for a single match and 40 dirhams for the double-headers.
The inaugural match of the UAE leg will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, with reigning champions Mumbai Indians taking on Kolkata Knight Riders, the 2012 winners.
"I have spent a lot of time over the years in this wonderful country and it is great to see the excitement and buzz being generated prior to a tournament of this magnitude, here in the UAE," Sunil Gavaskar, Interim President, BCCI-IPL, said in a statement.
Ranjib Biswal, chairman of the IPL Governing Council, thanked the UAE government.
“I want to thank the UAE government, the Emirates Cricket Board, the administrations of Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, as well as the three sports councils, for their support and commitment to host the IPL. The 20 matches to be played in the UAE will feature top cricketers from all over the world. I am sure that the opportunity to witness their heroes in action will prompt them to flock to the stadiums,” Biswal said.
The Emirates Cricket Board has a proven track record in terms of hosting significant cricket series and tournaments. The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2014, was held here recently.
“The venues in the UAE have hosted some extraordinary international matches recently, and I am certain that everyone can expect some unforgettable cricket, in the UAE leg of the Pepsi IPL 2014,” said Omar Al Askari, director, Emirates Cricket Board.
