These men are selling the tickets in the black market, despite the organisers sounding an early warning about their activities and making elaborate arrangements, including setting up of a special ticket sales counter at the stadium itself, and restricting the number of tickets an individual can buy.

Even though the PCA has put up a `house full' board for tickets in the Students (Rs 100), General (Rs 150), and Special enclosures (Rs 500), one can get these at the `market' near the stadium, at a steep premium. While a Students Block ticket can be purchased for Rs 400, the General Block ticket is available for Rs 500. Similarly, a Special enclosure ticket costs Rs 800.

But these are early days yet and the one-dayer is still a fortnight away. The disparity between the demand and supply shows every sign of the ticket prices spiraling. The interest is likely to soar further because India are playing against Pakistan for the first time in the city in what is the last league match of the triangular series.

Says a black marketeer, selling tickets at a premium near the main entrance and showing every sign of an insatiable appetite for profit: ``These rates are nothing. The last two days would be like hell. We can command any price then. Remember, this is an India-Pakistan match''.

The PCA is expecting a full house and has decided not to hand out any complimentary passes for the game as they want to generate enough funds to repay their loans. To ensure a good gate collection, they started with the sale of tickets for the Students and General categories which have a lower denomination.

On the flip side, this strategy has brightened the chances of black marketeers, even though the PCA Secretary, M.P. Pandove, thinks otherwise. ``We are selling only two tickets per person from the counter to desist black marketing. I am not aware of any tickets being sold at a premium. If that is, indeed, happening, the police should look into this''.

But, cricket enthusiasts are still cursing the organisers. Says Ajit Kalpish: ``What's the point in having only one sale counter? I had to take a day off from my business in Panchkula to buy a ticket. Earlier, we didn't have any problems as the tickets could be purchased from any of the various PCA-designated outlets''.

Another cricket freak, Rameshwar Sharma, is already weighing his options. "I would prefer to buy a VIP Block ticket for Rs 1,000 instead of shelling out a massive premium on a General ticket and paying Rs 500".