Dubai: Ticket sales for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan T20 Asia Cup clash are unusually slow, with less than three days to go before the match. Despite efforts to simplify purchases through a single-ticket format, organizers have reported sluggish demand. India is set to face Pakistan on September 14.
An Emirates Cricket official suggested that the absence of Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—who retired from T20 internationals following India’s T20 World Cup win against South Africa last year—could be affecting ticket sales.
“We are surprised by the low sales for India vs Pakistan. Previously, even lower-stand tickets sold out quickly, and during the Champions Trophy, tickets for the same fixture sold out twice in a single day within just four minutes. This time, the interest seems very muted, possibly due to Rohit and Virat’s absence,” an Emirates Cricket official told reporters here.
Fans have voiced their disappointment on social media, with some requesting that single-match tickets be released closer to the fixture date. Meanwhile, premium seats remain steeply priced at over ₹2.5 lakh for just two tickets.
On the field, India registered a dominant nine-wicket win over the UAE in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. The team will face Oman in their final group-stage match on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 4 stage, scheduled from September 20 to 26.
If India tops Group A, all their Super 4 matches will be held in Dubai. Finishing second would see one match in Abu Dhabi and the remaining two in Dubai. The tournament will conclude with the final in Dubai on September 28.
