India-Pakistan clash draws fans from 57 countries

During the World Cup match at on Saturday in Ahmedabad, fans from every corner of the globe have descended here to witness the fiercely anticipated showdown between cricketing giants India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.
According to the records held by the Union home ministry, a staggering 21,739 hotel rooms have been snapped up in 1,229 hotels in Ahmedabad three days before the match. Almost 38,000 plus cricket lovers from each and every state and Union territory in India have checked into city hotels to witness the face-off. Apart from Gujaratis, maximum cricket lovers who have checked into city hotels have arrived from Maharashtra, MP and Rajasthan.
According to figures gathered between October 11 and 13, as many as 390 foreign nationals have checked into 276 rooms in Ahmedabad.
The match has truly transcended borders, with the United Kingdom leading the charge of fans who booked 45 rooms, followed closely by cricket lovers from the United States, who have reserved 34 rooms. People from Nepal, Japan, Algeria, and Singapore, to name just a few, have marked their presence in double digits. Fans from Russia, Ireland, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, and many more have ensured the crowd is a melting pot of cricket fervour.
Police say, “Most of the rooms have been booked by cricket lovers. Some of the single rooms are even being occupied by five people.” They add, “Non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign nationals do come to Gujarat to enjoy Navratri. However, they are usually from the US, the UK or Australia and are far fewer in numbers. This time, people from countries like Albania, Uzbekistan, American Samoa, Eritrea, Hong Kong, Korea, and Papua New Guinea have booked rooms in the city. We believe they have come down to witness the WC match.”