Tickets for the India-Pakistan match in Asia Cup 2025 have not been sold yet. This match is to be played on 14 September. Usually the tickets for this high-voltage match are sold out in a few hours, but this time the demand for tickets has slowed down due to the price of above Rs 2.5 lakh and package sales.
India will begin their campaign against hosts UAE on September 10. Suryakumar Yadav said aggressive play is key to victory, while Salman Agha said that he gives the players the freedom to play their own way.
Organizers changed the ticketing system
This time the organizers changed the ticketing system and brought in the package system. Earlier, where fans could buy tickets for the India-Pakistan match directly, this time they have to buy the entire group-stage package. This means that to watch the India-Pakistan match, fans will have to buy tickets for a total of 7 matches together.
Therefore the fans who want to watch only the India-Pakistan match will have to pay for the rest of the group matches as well. However, this does not include the Super-4 and final matches.
What the fans said?
The organisers had introduced the system to promote other group-stage matches in addition to the India-Pakistan encounter. But the high pricing has seemingly backfired. Fans from India, Pakistan, and abroad expressed disappointment on social media, with many demanding the release of single-match tickets closer to the fixture.
Another major grievance was that the package does not include the Super Fours or the Final. “Purchasing the package would have made sense had the knockout matches been a part of it,” one fan pointed out online.
Costly tickets
The package available on ticketing portals is around Rs 2.57 lakh for two seats, which includes facilities like seating, unlimited food and drinks, parking pass, VIP club/lounge, private entrance and rest room.
Similarly, Royal Box is Rs 2.30 lakh, Sky Box East is Rs 1.67 lakh, Platinum is Rs 75 thousand, Grand Lounge is Rs 41 thousand, Pavilion West is Rs 28 thousand and the cheapest General East is also around Rs 10 thousand for two seats. This is why it is becoming expensive for the fans to buy tickets.
Flights and hotels have become expensive
According to media reports, the price of flight tickets has also increased. The demand for flights around 13 and 14 September has increased so much that the fares have doubled. The fare for a Mumbai to Dubai flight starts from Rs 11,000. The price of a Delhi to Dubai ticket has reached almost Rs 15,000. The price of a return flight ticket can reach Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 as the match approaches.
The situation of hotels is also no different before the India-Pakistan match. Budget hotels are available at Rs 5,000 per night. 3 to 4 star hotels are between Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000. 5 star luxury hotels are going up to Rs 18,000.
A press conference was held in Dubai on Tuesday, where the organizers specially made India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha sit separately. Afghanistan's Rashid Khan was seated in the middle.