'Trivian' Sanju effect at India-New Zealand match; Tickets for Twenty20 at Thiruvananthapuram sold out

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tickets for the fifth match of the India-New Zealand T20 series have been sold out. The venue for the fifth match is Greenfield Stadium (The Sports Hub) in Thiruvananthapuram. The match in Thiruvananthapuram is on January 31. The demand for tickets was very high from the first minute the ticket sales began. The booking was through the ticket booking app Ticketgenie. The app shows that all the tickets have been sold out.

Sports Minister V Abdurahman had made a controversial statement ahead of the India-Sri Lanka ODI match. A major political controversy was sparked by his statement that people who cannot afford to pay the increased ticket taxes "need not go to watch" the India-Sri Lanka ODI cricket match. Except for that match, all the matches hosted in Thiruvananthapuram had sold out completely.

The fifth match of the India-New Zealand T20 series has the distinction of being the first time that Sanju Samson is playing in his hometown of Thiruvananthapuram. Although Sanju Samson is a regular for India and often plays at major venues, this match is highlighted as a special occasion for the Thiruvananthapuram native to represent India at his home ground, with immense fan excitement.

Sanju was in the squad earlier, when the Indian team arrived in Thiruvananthapuram in 2019, but he did not play in the match. Now, as this is India's last match before the World Cup, it is unlikely that Sanju, who is an opener and wicketkeeper, will be left out. Sanju has a huge fan base in Thiruvananthapuram. It is believed that the excitement of the Thiruvananthapuram residents to see the cricketer play at his home ground is a major reason for the fast sale of tickets.