Preparations are in full swing across the nation, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gearing up to host the ODI World Cup solely for the very first time. The marquee tournament was previously held on Indian soil three times in 1987, 1996 and 2011. But India shared the hosting rights with other countries in those editions. The BCCI has taken some unique initiatives to make the occasion more special this time. One of them is a special season pass, branded as ‘Golden Ticket,’ for prominent celebrities. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is one of those who have praised BCCI for this initiative.
“The decision by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to honour persons who have done yeoman service in their respective fields is a terrific one,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is the first celebrity to receive the World Cup Golden Ticket. A few days ago, Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian cricketer to receive the special pass.
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In the column, Gavaskar also listed other candidates who deserve to be awarded the Golden Ticket. The ex-Indian skipper feels ISRO chairman S Somanath should be honoured with the guest pass. The other people whom Gavaskar prioritised were India’s World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.
“As of writing, the one and only Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar have been given a golden ticket to witness the World Cup matches. It is not known how many others are on the list, but hopefully, the chief of ISRO, under whom India landed on the moon, will be one. Of course, two others who deserve the golden ticket are the two World Cup-winning captains, Kapil Dev and Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Gavaskar noted.
The other sportspersons who found a place on Gavaskar’s list include Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, tennis legend Rohan Bopanna and table tennis star Sharath Kamal. “They may not be able to attend the games, but it’s the recognition that matters. Well done, BCCI,” Gavaskar wrote.
The ODI World Cup will kick off with a high-octane clash between last edition’s finalists England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, will begin their World Cup campaign with a match against Australia on October 8.
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