By Caroline Washaya Moyo
Zimbabwe is attracting massive global interest ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with ticket applications for matches hosted in the country surpassing 13.3 million, underscoring the growing anticipation surrounding the tournament.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has received 13,350,190 ticket requests for Zimbabwe-hosted matches, with the highly anticipated Zimbabwe versus India group-stage encounter emerging as the most sought-after fixture.
The match, scheduled for October 24 at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, has attracted more than 3.3 million ticket requests, positioning the iconic tourism destination at the centre of global cricket attention.
The figures were announced in a press release issued by the 2027 Cricket World Cup National Project Committee on November 2, as worldwide ticket applications for the tournament surpassed 120 million.
According to the latest figures, a total of 120,809,467 ticket applications had been received by November 1, reflecting the extraordinary global appetite for the 14th edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The tournament, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, is attracting fans from across the world, with nearly 2.8 million unique supporters from 193 countries registering for the opportunity to purchase tickets.
More than 32.5 million match registrations have been completed, demonstrating that interest extends beyond high-profile encounters involving traditionally dominant cricket nations.
Zimbabwe’s ticket application figures represent a significant opportunity for the country to showcase its sporting infrastructure, tourism attractions and hospitality sector to a global audience.
The Zimbabwe versus India encounter is expected to draw considerable international attention, with Victoria Falls providing a distinctive backdrop to one of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures.
The country’s participation as a co-host also presents opportunities to stimulate tourism activity, support hospitality businesses and strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a destination for major international sporting events.
The ICC said the African continent, including co-hosts Zimbabwe and Namibia, had collectively recorded more than 14.9 million ticket applications.
South Africa, which will host 41 fixtures across eight venues, has received more than 105 million applications. Matches involving South Africa have attracted nearly 26 million ticket requests.
Namibia has also recorded significant demand, with more than two million ticket applications for its six fixtures at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
The figures highlight the growing international reach of the tournament and the opportunities for the three host countries to translate sporting interest into wider economic and tourism benefits.
With the ticket ballot closing on November 21, cricket fans still have an opportunity to register for their preferred matches.
The ICC has encouraged supporters to select their desired fixtures through its official ticketing platform, with applications closing at 23:59 Central African Time on November 21.
Fans can register through tickets.cricketworldcup.com.
For Zimbabwe, the unprecedented ticket demand offers an opportunity to turn the 2027 Cricket World Cup into more than a sporting spectacle, positioning the country as a destination for international visitors while showcasing its capacity to host major global events.
