With excitement building up for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, cricket fans have started to look for innovative ways to catch the India-Pakistan World Cup showdown at Ahmedabad on October 15. Since hotel rates in the city have hit a record high, fans are now making their way to hospital rooms in the city, according to a report by Ahmedabad Mirror.
Prices of hotel rooms in Ahmedabad have risen by more than 20 times on October 15, with costs exceeding Rs 59,000, according to media reports. ITC’s Welcomhotel in Ahmedabad was charging an amount of Rs 72,000 on the matchday. There were no rooms in several other hotels, such as TC Narmada and Courtyard by Marriott in the city on the matchday.
Dr Paras Shah, who works at a hospital in the city, was quoted as saying that people are asking for full-body check-ups and overnight stays at hospitals to save money on lodging and get their health checked.
Dr Paras Shah said that fans are willing to stay in any room, from deluxe to suite, to watch the Indo-Pak match. He said that his hospital has limited rooms, so they are being careful about accepting advance bookings from NRIs. He added that their priority is patient care, and they do not want to take away rooms from patients who need them.
The trend of fans booking hospital rooms to watch the India-Pakistan match is catching on, and more hospitals are curating special health packages to accommodate this demand. Dr Nikhil Lala, Group Medical Director of Sterling Hospitals, said that the rise in demand is mostly due to the upcoming World Cup India-Pakistan match. He added that Sterling Hospitals is also considering coming out with other health packages in the future.
Apart from India vs Pakistan clash, Ahmedabad will also be hosting the opening match of the tournament between defending champions England and Zealand on October 5, as well as the finale on November 19.