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'Free Tickets For...'- Virender Sehwag's Solution To Empty Stands At World Cup 2023

image-lnd6i7tfThe crowd has slowly started to fill in at Narendra Modi Stadium (Twitter)

In the wake of the surprising sight of empty stands at the Narendra Modi Stadium during the opening game of World Cup 2023, former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag has suggested an innovative solution. 


Sehwag advocates for youngsters amid dwindling ODI interest

Sehwag believes that free tickets should be offered to school and college students for games not involving the Indian team.

The world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad saw a scanty audience during the opening clash between New Zealand and defending champions England, catching many fans off-guard and prompting discussions on the diminishing charm of One-Day International (ODI) cricket.

Sehwag took to Twitter to voice his opinion. He said, 

"Hopefully after office hours, there should be more people coming in. But for games not featuring Bharat, there should be free tickets for school and college children. With the fading interest in 50 over game, it will definitely help that youngsters get to experience a World Cup game and players get to play in fron of a full stadium ."

Meanwhile, Thursday's opener was marked by significant absences, with England's key player Ben Stokes sidelined due to a hip injury.


The match served as a thrilling rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, where England clinched the title in a dramatic tie-breaker based on boundary count.

New Zealand, led by Tom Latham in the absence of their regular captain Kane chose to bowl first after winning the toss. 

England set a target of 283, led by Joe Root's stellar innings of 77 runs. New Zealand's Matt Henry emerged as the standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 48 runs in his 10-over spell.