In a major blow to cricket fans, tickets for the Indian Premier League will now be taxed at 40%, placing the tournament in the nation’s highest GST slab. The change will make watching live matches significantly more expensive.
September 4, 2025: The GST on match tickets has gone up from 28% to a new high of 40%, so cricket fans will have to pay more to see the IPL live. The IPL is now in the highest tax bracket in the country, along with casinos, race clubs, and high-end goods.
People who want to see the show will have to pay a lot more because of the new tax structure that starts on September 22. The price of a ticket has gone up from ₹1,280 to ₹1,400, which is ₹120 more than it used to be. A ticket that used to cost ₹500 will now cost ₹700 (up from ₹640), and a ticket that used to cost ₹2,000 will now cost ₹2,800 (up from ₹2,560).
The government has made it clear that this increased tax solely applies to professional sports leagues, such as the IPL. Fans will be thrilled to learn that the GST on tickets for international cricket matches and other well-known sporting events would fall reduced from 28% to 18% for tickets that cost more than ₹500. This change would make it cheaper to watch games from other countries. A ticket that used to cost ₹1,000 now costs ₹1,180 after taxes, which is ₹100 less than it did before.
As part of a wider strategy to alter the tax structure, the administration is modifying the GST. The idea is to boost the tax on luxury and non-essential entertainment while lowering the cost on basic goods. The reform is designed to make the tax system easier to grasp, but fans have had mixed views. Many are worried that it will make it harder for the average Indian fan to see live cricket.