Cricket matches in India can be a nightmare for fans with jam-packed stadiums lacking adequate facilities, resulting in a lot of discomfort. The difficulty of watching an international cricket match begins from purchasing tickets all the way to exiting the stadium and waiting long periods of time in heavy traffic late at night. All this, however, is forgotten once inside the stadium, cheering for one’s favourite teams and players.

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Fortunately, in the series-deciding 3rd T20I between India and Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, there were no major incidents involving fans, despite facing a lot of difficulty entering the stadium due to heightened security.

Earlier, in the second T20I in Hyderabad itself, fan troubles began when buying tickets resulting in a stampede at the Gymkhana Grounds, in which seven persons were injured.

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It was reported that only a handful of fans managed to get their tickets – earlier available online before selling out in 20 minutes. As a result, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), under pressure as the fiasco with ticket availability escalated, made a few thousand tickets available offline.

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Since this was the first match in the city since 2019, a larger-than-expected number of fans attended, before a stampede ensued and the police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the mob.

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However, in the series-deciding T20I, there were 32,459 people inside the stadium when the first ball was bowled. As Australia’s innings was midway in progress, the figures climbed to 45,004.

But the icing on the cake was during the start of the Indian innings. The organisers announced a massive total of 45,354 fans inside the stadium, which even saw the rafters filled.