Massive chaos unfolded outside Barabati Stadium as thousands of cricket fans rushed to buy tickets for the first T20I between India and South Africa. The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) had announced on December 4 that offline ticket sales would begin on Friday morning, and by December 5, enormous queues had already formed. Despite officials prohibiting overnight lines and allowing people to gather only from 6 a.m., the crowd swelled rapidly. By the time ticket counters opened at 9 a.m., managing the situation had become extremely challenging.
A viral video circulating on X captured the situation turning almost stampede-like, with fans pushing aggressively to reach the counters. As the crowd continued to surge, the police were forced to use a mild lathi charge to bring the situation under control and disperse sections of the gathering.
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This match marks Barabati Stadium’s second international fixture of 2025. Earlier in the year, Rohit Sharma’s team drew a massive turnout during their ODI clash against England. The overwhelming response for T20I tickets shows once again how passionate the region’s cricket fans are.
Massive turnout at Barabati Stadium today as fans line up for India–South Africa T20 tickets.
One hopes @dcp_cuttack, @cpbbsrctc & @Satya0168 have ensured proper crowd-control arrangements, because the visuals below tell a different story–something essential is missing to keep… pic.twitter.com/heRx96QDFT
— Soumyajit Pattnaik (@soumyajit) December 5, 2025
Meanwhile, India will play the third ODI against South Africa on December 6 in Visakhapatnam. After a hard-fought win in Ranchi, the KL Rahul-led side slipped to a disappointing four-wicket loss in Raipur. With the series locked, India now face a must-win situation in Vizag, especially after their 2-0 Test series setback. Another defeat will only intensify the pressure on the team management, which has already faced criticism for inconsistent results in bilateral series.
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Once the ODI leg concludes, attention will quickly shift to the T20Is starting December 9 in Cuttack. With the T20 World Cup just two months away, Suryakumar Yadav and his squad will be eager to make a strong statement, and for several players, these matches could be crucial in solidifying their place in the World Cup roster.
