Indian Cricket Fans Travel Across India And Sri Lanka As T20 World Cup Fever Hits

Cricket Fever Drives Travel From India

As the Men’s T20 World Cup kicks off in India and Sri Lanka, excitement is spreading far beyond the cricket grounds and into travel plans. According to a recent Skyscanner report, there’s been a notable surge in flight searches as Indian fans eagerly book trips to catch the matches live. 

With India defending their title under captain Suryakumar Yadav, supporters are choosing to travel rather than just watch from home. The report shows a clear rise in searches for flights to host cities, especially in January, signaling growing enthusiasm as the tournament gets closer.

Suryakumar Yadav said “I still go back to that catch from the 2024 final - not just for the moment, but for the roar. I think about the fans who travelled across the world just to be our heartbeat in the stands. In India, cricket isn’t just a game, it’s how we live. This World Cup takes us across seven beautiful cities, starting from my home ground at Wankhede, and I know that no matter where we play, the fans will always be there to cheer us on. When the journey is taken care of, you’re free to just lose yourself in the game. I can’t wait to hear that roar from the stands again.”
 
When the Men’s T20 World Cup fixtures were released on November 25, 2025, travel planning spiked immediately. Skyscanner tracked flight searches for travel between February 7 and March 8, covering the entire tournament across India and Sri Lanka.

Flight searches to Indian host cities started picking up in November and steadily increased over the following months, reaching a peak in January. During the week of January 19, searches were up 63 per cent compared to the previous week, and by the week of January 26, search volume hit the highest levels recorded so far for the tournament period, 35 per cent higher than the week of January 19. While multiple factors may influence travel planning, this surge points to growing interest from both domestic and international travellers heading to India for the World Cup.

For international venues like Colombo and Pallekele (Kandy), search interest began rising from November, building momentum through December and January. Fans planning cross-border travel appear to book earlier, likely due to visa requirements, flight availability, and longer lead times.

The highly anticipated India versus Pakistan match on 15 February in Colombo is also shaping travel trends. Outbound flight searches to Colombo around that weekend increased by nine per cent in the week of December 8 compared to the previous week, suggesting the fixture is already driving travel plans.

Neel Ghose, Destination and Travel Trends Expert, Skyscanner India, added, “We’re seeing cricket play a growing role in travel planning. Fans are aligning trips with key fixtures, from domestic flights between Indian cities to cross-border travel for major matches. The World Cup highlights how large-scale sporting events are influencing both the timing and purpose of travel among Indian travellers.”