India vs Pakistan- Nationwide boycott to screenings in cinemas:Dubai stadium entirely sold out; Mohsin Naqvi ‘eager to present trophy’ despite off-field controversies

It was just two weeks ago when the ticket managers for the India-Pakistan group stage match opened the single ticket window to lure the audience for the 14 September match, since most of the tickets were unsold. However, in a major shift of perception, the tickets for the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup final have been sold out. The final clash of the continental tournament is set to take place in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, which has a seating capacity of 28,000. Notably, organisers told Geo News that the whole stadium will be fully packed with fans filling every spot for the high-voltage clash. Also read: India face 5 key challenges ahead of final against Pakistan
Even the group stage and the Super-4 clash attracted plenty of fans, as per the same source. However, these were the same matches where the organisers were pleading for ticket sales. Yet the audience came, and let’s take a look at how many people registered their presence in two of the India vs Pakistan matches this year. 20,000 people attended IND-PAK clash despite boycott protests Although there was severe backlash and boycott from the fans over social media for the India-Pakistan clash, the match attracted a huge audience. In their previous encounters in the tournament, the two arch-rivals got 20,000 spectators for the group match on September 14 and while they attracted 17,000 for the Super Four clash on September 21, according to Geo News. The major reason behind a houseful Asia Cup final is also expected due to the fact that both of these nations are playing against each other for the first time in the 41-year history of the Asia Cup since 1984. Also read: India vs Pakistan set for final showdown: How many runs will Abhishek Sharma score?
Meanwhile, before the highly anticipated match, there was off-field drama that kicked off after the 14 September row. Yet, Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi is eager to present the trophy to the winning team. Mohsin Naqvi eager to present Asia Cup trophy despite hostility Despite the ‘No handshake’ row that kicked off after the 14 September group stage clash, followed by various formal protests from BCCI and PCB, the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and ACC chairman Mohnsin Naqvi said yesterday, “I am excited to present the trophy to the winning team.” A PTI insider said, “As of now, information is that he will come this evening, and obviously, as ACC chairman, he will be giving away the winner’s trophy. Let’s see what the BCCI decides.” Recently, Haris Rauf and Suryakumar Yadav were fined 30% of their match fee by the International Cricket Council(ICC) for gestures depicting a crashing plane and political comments, respectively. It’ll be worth watching if the Indian team maintain their stance in the final against the Asian Cricket Council president.