Melbourne: Cricket Australia (CA) announced Thursday that more than 6,000 Indian fans travelled to Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, marking a record turnout for the five-match Test series between India and Australia.
Australia triumphed 3-1 in the series to reclaim the prestigious BGT trophy after a 10-year gap. CA reported that over 6,000 tickets were purchased by Indian fans, with many others buying through friends and family in Australia. This represented a six-fold increase in ticket sales from India compared to the last BGT series held in Australia in 2018/19.
A total of 837,879 spectators attended the series, making it the fourth-most attended Test series in Australia and the highest for any non-Ashes series. Around 5% of ticket buyers were international fans, with Indian supporters leading international sales, surpassing those from the UK and the USA. The Boxing Day Test at Melbourne’s MCG saw particularly high attendance, with Indian fans accounting for more than two-thirds of the tickets sold.
Cricket Australia also noted that at least eight sessions of the series drew more than 2 million viewers, with 40 sessions averaging over 1 million viewers.
Joel Morrison, CA’s Executive General Manager of Events and Operations, said, “We are delighted that Australia has become a pre-eminent destination for Indian cricket fans, driven by the immense interest in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
He added that the atmosphere created by passionate Indian fans enhanced the experience at each venue, and CA is committed to strengthening its relationship with cricket fans worldwide.
Looking ahead, the Indian men’s cricket team will return to Australia in October-November 2025 for a three-ODI and five-T20I series, while the women’s team will play a seven-match multi-format series in February-March 2026.
Morrison also noted that the increasing number of Indian visitors highlights cricket’s growing role in promoting tourism and business across Australia.
The last time India visited Australia for a high-profile Test series, they won the opening match in Perth but were defeated in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, surrendering the BGT trophy after a decade of dominance.
PTI
