India vs Pakistan rivalry losing spark? Asia Cup 2025 tickets remain unsold despite usual hype

India vs Pakistan is always among the biggest games in cricket, but this time in the Asia Cup 2025, it appears that the rivalry is losing its spark. The two teams will face each other on September 14 in Dubai, but tickets for the big clash are still unsold. Usually, tickets for India-Pakistan cricket matches sell out within hours, but the Asia Cup 2025 tickets remain unsold.

On portals like Viagogo and Platinumlist, tickets are still available for India-Pakistan fans to buy. One of the reasons for tickets not selling out could be the harsh summer weather in the United Arab Emirates. Broadcasters were forced to change the match timings of all games except one, reportedly due to the extreme heat and humidity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the potential impact of dew on the matches.

Why the slowdown in India-Pakistan ticket sales?

But the slowdown in sales of tickets for the India-Pakistan Asia Cup clash might not just be about the weather. The rivalry itself may be losing its spark. In recent years, the Indian cricket team has dominated Pakistan in ICC and multi-nation events. The results have become very one-sided, and fans may no longer be feeling the same excitement as before.

In the previous Asia Cup, which was held in the ODI format in 2023, India defeated Pakistan by a massive margin of 228 runs. After that, India faced Pakistan thrice in ICC events, including the 2023 Cricket World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy. India won all these games.

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Pakistan’s current form has also not helped. The team has been struggling in international cricket and is no longer seen at the same level as India. While the Indian side has grown stronger with better fitness, training methods, top-class facilities, and regular competition against strong teams, Pakistan cricket has not been able to keep the same pace. This gap between the two sides is also making the contest less thrilling for fans.

Absence of Rohit-Kohli a reason?

Another reason could be that some big names are missing from this Asia Cup. India don’t have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan have left out stars like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Rohit and Virat retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, and Babar, Rizwan were not picked by Pakistan. Rohit and Kohli have huge fan followings in both countries, so fans might be feeling their absence this time.

Still, the India-Pakistan game remains one of the most-watched events in world cricket. The Dubai International Stadium is expected to be full on the day of the match even if the portals are showing ticket availability at the moment. India are slated to play against the hosts UAE on September 10, while Pakistan will face Oman in their opening game on September 12.