IPL 2025: Eden Gardens is normally a lively and crowded stadium when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in town. But the midweek encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was a very different picture, with huge parts of the iconic cricket stadium in Kolkata lying vacant. This created serious doubts about KKR’s relationship with their fanbase.
“Yes, the stands were visibly empty. The biggest problem is the outrageous ticket rates. A four times hike in ticket rates is unacceptable, irrespective of the reasons,” sources within the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) divulged to Sports Now in a conversation. “Perhaps it was also the midweek atmosphere and Kolkata’s soggy weather,” said the source.
But Capt. Chinmay Nayak, CEO of the Cricket Association of Bengal, explained, “The IPL is a franchise-based league, and it is KKR who controls ticket sales. As CAB, we have no role to play in this.”
It has created buzz in social media
Social media fans have expressed their discontent, with many attributing the low attendance to the high ticket prices and KKR’s inconsistent performance as probable reasons. Fans also pointed out that the stadium was filled to capacity for the KKR vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match, which was played over the weekend, as the excitement surrounding the game is always high, irrespective of specific players.
Complementing the problem is the lack of perceived star power in the existing KKR lineup. A few fan reactions posted on social media have thrown light on the problem:
A fan complained, “Eden Gardens (KKR) hiked ticket prices and now you get a half-empty Eden Gardens. This is the answer. Don’t go to the stadium because of such high prices; let them suffer, and they will cut prices eventually. The other team fans must take a lesson from this.”
A fellow fan also brought out the hefty price jump against other games: “The stand from which I saw the India vs. England T20 game in January used to be ₹1300. In IPL, it is ₹3500. They’ve slashed the rate for the LSG game.”
A more realistic supporter admitted the various factors involved: “Team performance is also a factor after that Mumbai defeat. There probably wasn’t much hope that they’d perform well against SRH. But yeah, some of these prices are astronomical.”
Drawing inspiration from global fan bases, Siddharth Bhunia, who is a KKR fan, issued a “clarion call for protests” and said to Sports Now, “See how Manchester City fans are protesting. Let’s take a leaf from their book. Hopefully, it’ll ring a bell in the management’s ear.”
KKR’s next match is against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and several tickets for the match are yet to be sold.
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