Three held for black-marketing IPL tickets; 87 passes, Rs 25,000 seized

The Delhi Police has busted a black-marketing racket involving Indian Premier League tickets and arrested three people for allegedly selling complimentary passes and regular tickets at exorbitant prices. A total of 54 IPL match tickets, 33 “NOT FOR SALE” complimentary passes, and `25,000 in cash were recovered from their possession.

According to police, the accused have been identified as Mukeem (35), Gufran alias Sajid (36) and Mohammad Faisal (38). According to the Crime Branch, the accused were illegally selling premium IPL match tickets and complimentary passes at inflated prices. Investigation has revealed that the gang was active across several IPL host cities and allegedly supplied tickets to bookmakers and criminal elements. Police officials said complimentary passes marked “NOT FOR SALE” were also being sold in the black market. Further investigation is underway and efforts are being made to identify other people linked to the network.

Police said a team of the crime branch laid a trap near Delhi Gate on May 8 after a tip-off about the illegal sale of IPL tickets. “The accused were allegedly posing as authorised representatives of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and selling tickets at inflated prices to unsuspecting buyers,” a police officer said.

He said 54 IPL tickets, including 33 complimentary passes marked “not for sale,” and Rs 25,000 in cash were recovered from their possession.

The accused told police they sold complimentary passes for nearly Rs 20,000 each and regular tickets for almost double their printed price, depending on the match’s popularity and the buyers’ profile, police said.

Investigators said the accused were part of a black-market network for IPL tickets across different cities where matches were held.

“They allegedly travelled by air to various venues and procured tickets and passes through different sources,” the officer said.

Police also suspect that premium tickets were supplied to people involved in online betting syndicates operating inside stadiums, in addition to other criminal elements.

The officer said an FIR filed, three accused arrested and are on police remand, and efforts are underway to identify other members. Police said the accused were previously involved in multiple criminal cases registered in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, including cheating, gambling and ticket black marketing.

Meanwhile, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Devajit Saikia, on Thursday said the decision to shift the IPL 2026 final from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad was taken after the Karnataka State Cricket Association allegedly sought complimentary tickets far beyond the permitted quota.

Saikia explained that, under IPL protocol, the defending champions are entitled to host the final and one playoff match at their home venue, which would have made Bengaluru the natural choice after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the title last season.

However, the BCCI decided to move the matches following what it described as excessive ticket demands from the state association. Saikia said host associations are entitled to only 15 per cent of the stadium’s seating capacity as complimentary tickets.