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The lukewarm response to India-Pakistan Group A clash of the Asia Cup means nearly half of the tickets are yet to be sold.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet on Sunday. (PTI Photo)
It seems that the high anticipation for the Asia Cup 2025 match between India and Pakistan is only on paper as is evident from the lukewarm response to the tickets for the blockbuster contest slated to be played this Sunday in Dubai. As per various media reports, nearly half the tickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium are yet to find takers.
Such is the plight that the organisers – Asian Cricket Council – have reportedly slashed the prices in hopes of filling up the seats. The prices for the standard tickets have been reduced to 350 dirhams (INR 8415 approx.) from 475 dirhams (INR 11420 approx.) initially.
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) though claims there’s no truth to the sluggish sales.
“The signs are very encouraging. There is no truth to the claim that tickets are not getting sold,” an ECB source told The Times of India.
Stark Contrast To Champions Trophy
This is the second time in 2025 that Dubai is playing host to an India-Pakistan cricket match. At the Champions Trophy, the two teams squared off at the venue for a group match and it was a sold-out affair with tickets being snapped up inside four minutes.
However, as per another report, nearly 50 per cent of the seats are available. The prices range from USD 99 for standard seats to USD 4,534 (nearly INR 4 lakh) for premium seats.
It’s been over 10 days since the tickets were put on sale.
Besides the sky-high prices, the calls for boycotting the game may have contributed to the response. The match is being held just a few months after the Pahalgam terror attack in response to which India launched a military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The BCCI is facing the heat for going ahead with the Asia Cup match against Pakistan with the likes of Harbhajan Singh suggesting that no cricket should be played between the two nations until there’s an improvement in their diplomatic relations.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
September 12, 2025, 11:43 IST
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