Cricket Match Brings Super Bowl–Like Atmosphere to New York

As one of cricket’s biggest global events—which is taking place partially in the U.S.—heads into its second week, officials in New York are getting ready for an unprecedented affair. On Sunday, India and Pakistan will play in the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Long Island. 

“India vs. Pakistan is like the Super Bowl on steroids,” Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman told Reuters. “We had no idea how huge it was.” Earlier this week, the ICC released additional tickets for the India-Pakistan match, which features the sport’s biggest rivalry. The game will be played at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, a 34,000-seat temporary venue that was built at a cost of $30 million solely for the T20 World Cup. On secondary markets, the cheapest tickets have been more than $700 this week.

Along with the ticket demand, security concerns have arisen after a potential threat from a pro-ISIS group. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul instructed police to elevate security measures and increase law enforcement presence. Authorities have reportedly not yet found any corroborative evidence to back the threat, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Pakistan is coming off a stunning defeat to the U.S. on Thursday in Dallas. India won its first game against Ireland this week and will play the U.S. next week.

Watch Party

Viewership for India-Pakistan may not do big numbers in the U.S. (it’s available on only Willow, a niche cricket-focused cable channel), but it’s sure to garner plenty of interest worldwide. Last year, a match between the two nations in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup—the tournament that uses the sport’s classic format as opposed to the shorter T20 version—drew a peak live concurrent viewership of 76 million on linear broadcast and 35 million on digital.