Hours before start, India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash still not a sellout
In a surprising turn of events, hundreds of tickets for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai remain unsold mere hours before the game, with organisers even slashing prices to attract spectators, according to multiple media reports.
An Al Jazeera report said seats in premium and pavilion sections, along with hospitality areas, were still available hours before the first ball.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Indian outlet News18 said that organisers have reduced the price of Standard tickets from USD 129.32 to USD 95.29 to boost sales.
According to Platinumlist, the only authorised platform to purchase Asia Cup tickets, the Premium seats priced at USD 212.53, and Pavilion East and West seats priced at USD 255.04 are still available.
Earlier this year, the Dubai International Stadium had staged the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy but for that match the 25,000-seater venue had sold out within four minutes.
The extreme heat in Dubai, with temperatures above 35°C and high humidity, is a probable reason behind the low interest.
Furthermore, calls for boycott from India owing to the geopolitical tensions between the nations and the lack of star power in both teams with names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Babar Azam not being a part of this contest may have led to low ticket sales.
The Asia Cricket Council (ACC) is yet to officially comment on the low ticket sales and will disclose the attendance figures after the game.
Both teams are expected to face off in the Super Four phase as well, and could potentially meet up for the third time in the final.
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