IPL Ticket Black Marketing Racket Exposes DDCA Officials; Delhi Police Issues Notice

IPL trophy [Source: CREX]

In a recent development, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has issued notices for Delhi and District Cricket Association officials to join them in an investigation regarding the alleged black marketing of IPL match passes and premium tickets.

Four officials have been notified, and earlier, the police had arrested four men outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi for allegedly selling tickets and match passes to, among others, individuals involved in betting operations being run from inside the stadium.

IPL 2026 Marred With Black Market Racket

Notably, this was not the first incident of ticket black marketing, as in Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the month of April, a canteen worker was arrested by the Central Crime Branch for selling over 180 tickets for the RCB vs LSG match via the black market.

Tickets were bought in bulk under corporate names and were resold at prices up to Rs 19,000. Hyderabad police also busted a racket during the SRH vs KKR match on May 3, arresting three individuals who were selling complimentary tickets at inflated prices.

Fresh Arrests Sparks DDCA Involvement

According to a report from the Indian Express, the accused were giving away complimentary passes for Rs 20,000 while also selling premium tickets on the black market. Shockingly, those accused were also sharing a huge portion of the profits with some DDCA officials.

“They allegedly procured tickets and complimentary passes through various persons. The role of others associated with this syndicate is also under investigation. They also supplied premium tickets at exorbitant prices to people involved in online live betting/satta operations inside stadiums, as well as to pickpockets and other criminal elements," DCP (Crime Branch) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav was quoted as saying by the publication.

The accused also acted as authorised representatives of the DDCA administration and event management authorities to gain credibility among buyers.

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During the investigation, it was further found that the racket was not limited to Delhi and IPL tickets. As per DCP Yadav, criminal cases related to ticket black marketing in regions of Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana were also found registered against the accused. 

Meanwhile, another accused, Pankaj Yadav, was arrested on Tuesday, May 30, and he also reportedly worked as a supervisor at a petrol pump.

Besides Pankaj Yadav, three men, one from Uttar Pradesh and the other two from Delhi, were also arrested last Friday outside the stadium, with the police stating that they recovered 55 IPL match tickets and 33 complimentary passes from the arrested individuals.

Black Marketing And Ticketing Blunder Shifts IPL 2026 Final To Ahmedabad

Not only black marketing, but insider involvement in IPL matches has also led the Board of Control for Cricket in India-led committee to shift the IPL 2026 final from M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to Ahmedabad.

While ticket black market is a frequent phenomenon in venues like Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, and even Kolkata's Eden Gardens, investigations in Bengaluru revealed that tickets were supplied to the black market by officials connected to the state administration.

As Delhi Police issued notices to senior BCCI officials following the arrests in the black marketing case, the venue shift to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium is being seen as a precautionary measure to restrict the rackets that have been infesting the cricket-viewing experience for spectators.

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