Living cricket in the stands in India will soon be a different experience, regardless of whether you consider yourself a fan of the IPL or on the international side of cricket fandom. The Government of India have announced significant changes to their Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates as they apply to sport tickets, and which will directly affect the price you pay as a fan to attend a match.
The most direct impact will be for a spectator at an Indian premier league match. The Goods and Service Tax (GST) for IPL match tickets has gone from 28% to 40%, which is the highest taxation bracket and in the same category as casinos and race clubs. Therefore, a ticket that once had a base price of ₹1000 will now cost you ₹1400, instead of what would have been ₹1280 before April 2023. Therefore, with this increase, fans will be required to pay more to enjoy the experience of being in the IPL stadium with all of its excitement.
Conversely, there is some good news for fans who are going to see international cricket in India. Previously, if fans bought tickets for these matches, they also attracted 28% GST, but that slab has been wiped out. Experts in the field are telling us that these matches will now fall into the “recognised sporting event” group. Given the rules as they stand now, tickets with a cost of more than ₹500 attract 18% GST, while those under ₹500 are exempt. As a result, a ₹1000 international match ticket that once cost ₹1280 including tax will now only cost ₹1180.
Everything changes as of September 22, literally one week before the Women’s World Cup begins in India. The ICC has already asked fans to register online for ticket sale updates. From a tax perspective, IPL fans can expect to feel heavier fees whereas those who are going to watch other recognised matches can actually expect lower charges to enter and follow these events.
This could affect how the fans de-prioritise the IPL as opposed to other cricketing events in the country. If tickets are cheaper, then from a spectator perspective, this means potentially even bigger crowds for the international games.