You may want to rethink your plans if you’re hoping to watch Virat Kohli from the corporate box at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium during this IPL season. Due to the league’s immense popularity, ticket prices for high-demand matches featuring superstar players like Kohli have skyrocketed, making it potentially cheaper to fly to Turkey for a summer vacation than to attend one of these blockbuster clashes in person.

The Indian Express reported that Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s opening home match ticket against Punjab Kings on March 25th was sold for a staggering ₹52,938. While this price is an outlier, dynamic surge pricing is becoming the norm, so average fans should expect fluctuating ticket costs.

The ticket price for IPL matches depends on several factors, including the venue, time of day, team playing, and star player appeal. Prices vary widely based on these factors, from INR 1700 for the cheapest seats at Chepauk Stadium to INR 6000 for the most expensive.

Other venues, such as Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi and Punjab Kings’ Mullanpur Cricket Stadium, also offer a range of ticket prices, with Delhi ranging from INR 2000-5000 and Punjab from INR 750-9000. Overall, IPL ticket prices span a broad spectrum, but the variance allows fans with different budgets to enjoy matches across venues.

A PBKS official revealed that the venue strongly influences the price fans are willing to pay to watch an Indian Premier League match.

“The ticket price for the same event can vary greatly between cities based on local factors. For example, in Mumbai, tickets may cost ₹5,000, while in Chandigarh, the price is only ₹1,000. Pricing is influenced by demand, supply, affordability, culture, and willingness to pay. Fans in Mumbai may readily pay ₹5,000, but fans in Mohali are less inclined to invest as much for a ticket.”

According to DDCA secretary Rajan Manchanda, the BCCI allows all franchises full freedom to set ticket prices at their home venues, with no restrictions—pricing is simply determined by the classic economic theory of supply and demand.

“Franchises independently determine ticket pricing, while our role is to provide the infrastructure and meet their operational needs without involvement in pricing decisions.”

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have cultivated a loyal fan base and excelled at marketing their brand. Unsurprisingly, ticket prices for RCB’s opening match at Chinnaswamy Stadium skyrocketed, with premium corporate stand tickets jumping from Rs 42,350 to Rs 52,938. Curiously, other iconic venues like Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, home of the hugely successful Mumbai Indians franchise, have not seen such dramatic price surges—Wankhede’s lowest ticket costs just Rs 990, with the highest priced at Rs 18,000.

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