'For the first time India versus Pakistan tickets are available, no huge demands, no rise in ticket rates.'
The India-Pakistan game in the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday, September 14, has received a lukewarm response from fans.
With only days left for the marquee clash between the two arch-rivals, a large number of tickets remain sold.
Usually, India-Pakistan match tickets are snapped up in minutes -- be it the World Cup, Champions Trophy or Asia Cup but this time cricket fans in Dubai surprisingly appear unexcited.
'Locals have told me that for the first time India versus Pakistan tickets are available, no huge demands, no rise in ticket rates. There seems not much interest in the cricket fans in Dubai,' said journalist Vimal Kumar on Aakash Chopra's YouTube video.
One reason for the lacklustre response is the organisers' decision to sell the tickets in a bundle for all group matches of the particular team and not for individually for the India-Pakistan match.
This is being done to promote the other matches featuring associate member teams like Oman, the UAE and Hong Kong.
The package for the Group A matches which includes India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman start from AED 475 (Rs 11,000).
This will be the first time that India and Pakistan will play each other since the Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite widespread calls for a boycott, India's sports ministry cleared Team India's participation in the Asia Cup.
'We will not stop the Indian cricket team from playing in the Asia Cup as it is multilateral,' a ministry source said. 'But Pakistan will not be allowed on Indian soil for bilateral competitions. But we will not stop them from multilateral events as we will abide by Olympic Charter,' he added.
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