Scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, the marquee encounter has historically been a guaranteed sell-out, with tickets vanishing within minutes of release. However, this time, with just four days to go, a significant number of tickets remain unsold
Historically, India have dominated the head-to-head record in T20Is, winning 10 out of 13 encounters (Pic: AFP)
Ticket sales for the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 have failed to generate the usual frenzy, prompting the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to reduce prices just days ahead of the match.
Scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, the marquee encounter has historically been a guaranteed sell-out, with tickets vanishing within minutes of release. However, this time, with just four days to go, a significant number of tickets remain unsold.
The low demand is being attributed to a mix of factors, most notably the rising political tensions between India and Pakistan. Calls for a boycott of the fixture have echoed across India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, leading to divided opinions among fans. Last month, an Indian Legends team featuring former stars like Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan cancelled their scheduled matches against Pakistan. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hinted at withdrawing from future such exhibitions.
Reacting to the sluggish ticket sales, the ACC has opted to slash ticket prices to revive interest. According to a report by GeoTV, standard tickets, originally priced at 475 dirhams (approx. Rs 11,300), have now been reduced to 350 dirhams (approx. Rs 8,300). Although the official reason cited is fan feedback over affordability, the lack of demand is widely seen as the real motivator behind the price cut.
The most expensive seats, premium enclosures, have reportedly seen the slowest movement, leaving event organisers puzzled given the historical popularity of the fixture.
Despite the tepid build-up, India enter the match in high spirits, having begun their title defence with a commanding nine-wicket win over UAE, bowling them out for a record-low score of 57. Meanwhile, Pakistan are set to kick off their Asia Cup campaign on Friday, facing Oman at the same venue.
Historically, India have dominated the head-to-head record in T20Is, winning 10 out of 13 encounters. Their most recent clash took place on February 23 during the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, where India emerged victorious by six wickets.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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