AHMEDABAD, March 7: Despite the sweltering heat in Ahmedabad, the city is pulsing with electric anticipation for the India-New Zealand T20 World Cup final at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium.
Streets are buzzing with blue-clad fans waving tricolours as over 3,000 police personnel and 1,000 home guards have been mobilised, backed by three anti-drone systems scanning the skies and eight bomb detection squads sweeping the perimeter.
City Police Commissioner GS Malik, flanked by officers at a briefing on Saturday, detailed the ironclad security: innovative holding areas near Gates 1 and 2—first-time setups on main roads—to avert any stampede risk, even as he noted the stadium’s spotless history.
“Extra precaution for a historic night,” he declared.
Top police brass flooded the venue: a joint commissioner, 12 DCPs, and ranks below, all drilled in a final rehearsal.
Gender-specific frisking will ensure women’s comfort—female officers at every checkpoint—while late-night buses and Metro extensions will encourage fans to shun cars, easing congestion.
Advanced CCTV blanketed the arena, turning it into a fortress of vigilance.
But security was merely Act One.
Hotels have morphed into goldmines, with room tariffs exploding by 300-400%. Modest rooms have leaped from Rs 5,000-20,000 per night to Rs 15,000-50,000 overnight.
Taj Skyline’s deluxe suite skyrocketed to Rs 2.01 lakh plus GST—a jaw-dropping 20-fold hike from its Rs 9,000 norm.
Hyatt Regency demanded Rs 30,000; rooms at Welcomhotel by ITC have hit Rs 20,950. Hotelier Narendra Somani, president of the Gujarat Hotels Association, forecasted 80% occupancy across 10,000 rooms.
“Fans from abroad and every corner are flooding in,” he said.
With hotel prices climbing sharply, many visitors are opting for alternative arrangements instead of staying overnight in the city.
Somani said some people choose to stay in Gandhinagar, located about 25 km from Ahmedabad. A significant number of fans are also travelling to the city only for the match and returning the same day, he said.
“What many people do, especially people from Bombay, is they leave in the morning by road. They arrive here by four or five o’clock and go straight to the match. They bring a driver and leave at night,” Somani said.
Visitors from other parts of Gujarat are following a similar pattern. “They do the same thing; they come in their car and leave in their car. Let’s say, from Rajkot or Porbandar,” Somani said.
Apart from domestic travellers, foreign visitors are also arriving in the city for the match, he added.
Amid the frenzy, airfares have seen a massive spike. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad airfares, which usually hover around Rs 3,000, have surged to Rs 15,000-Rs 17,000. Flights from New Delhi to Ahmedabad are currently priced at around Rs 14,000, while Bengaluru-Ahmedabad fares have also spiked to nearly Rs 13,000.
To manage the rush, Western Railways announced special trains from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) at Mumbai Central confirmed the arrangements.
“To clear the extra rush of passengers during the T20 Men’s World Cup Final, AC Superfast Special Trains on Demand (TOD) on Special Fare will run between Bandra Terminus-Ahmedabad,” the DRM wrote.
The railways has announced that Train No. 09029, an AC Superfast Special, will run one trip on March 8 (Sunday). The train will depart from Bandra Terminus at 00:05 hrs and arrive in Ahmedabad at 08:40 hrs, halting at Surat and Vadodara along the way, the DRM said.
Meanwhile, the Northern Railway has also announced a special train service (number 04062) to help fans travelling from the national capital.
The additional services are expected to provide relief to thousands of fans planning last-minute travel to Ahmedabad for the much-anticipated cricket final, said officials. (PTI)
