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The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5, spanning ten different venues across India. The event marks India’s first time solely hosting this prestigious global tournament. Previously, India have co-hosted the World Cup in 1987, 1996, and 2011.
In the lead-up to this monumental tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has undertaken a momentous initiative, introducing the ‘Golden Ticket‘ program, which offers exclusive passes to prominent figures in the country.
The program made its debut in September when Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan received the inaugural ticket. Subsequently, Jay Shah, the Secretary of the BCCI, continued this tradition by presenting the same esteemed ticket to the cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar.
By introducing the ‘Golden Pass,’ the BCCI has elevated the anticipation surrounding the ICC Cricket World Cup and created a unique platform for recognizing and honouring prominent individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation.
Renowned former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has showered praise on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their commendable initiative, describing the ‘Golden Pass’ program as a ‘terrific one.’
“The decision by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to honour persons who have done yeoman service in their respective fields is a terrific one. As of writing, the one and only Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar have been given a golden ticket to witness the World Cup matches,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
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Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni deserve Golden Ticket: Gavaskar
Furthermore, the 74-year-old mentioned the names of distinguished individuals who he believes should be recipients of the coveted ‘Golden Ticket.’ Among his selections are two iconic World Cup-winning cricket captains, MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev, whose contributions to Indian cricket have left an indelible mark. Gavaskar also highlighted the deserving inclusion of Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic gold medalist whose triumph brought glory to the nation, and S. Somnath, the esteemed chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), whose leadership has propelled India’s achievements in space exploration.
“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. Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and World Athletics Championship gold medallist, is another one who comes to mind for the BCCI golden ticket,” the former right-hander batter added.
