For all the noise surrounding potential boycotts and political grandstanding ahead of the Asia Cup, cricket has — once again — had the final say. A social media-driven call from a section of India to boycott matches against Pakistan, sparked by the Pahalgam terror incident, briefly trended online before fizzling out the moment the tournament got underway.
And now, history beckons.
For the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1984, India and Pakistan will meet in an Asia Cup final — and every single ticket at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is gone. Official capacity? 28,000. Actual demand? Several times that, if the frantic resale market is anything to go by.
According to reports via Geo News and ANI, the two sides drew crowds of 20,000 and 17,000 in their previous group-stage and Super Four clashes. But for the final, there are no empty seats — nor any neutral emotions.
India arrive unbeaten, sweeping through both the group stage and Super Four under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav. Pakistan’s road has been bumpier, losing two of six games — both to, you guessed it, India. On form and numbers, the men in blue hold the edge. But when has logic ever applied to an Indo-Pak final?
Off the field, the subplots continue. Reports emerged of a “no-handshake” stance within the Indian camp following political tensions — a quiet protest of sorts. But as witnessed in earlier encounters, such resolutions melt quickly in the furnace of competitive spirit. Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi were seen chatting and engaging with Indian players mid-match, and it would surprise no one if similar scenes unfold in the final.
The boycott failed. The rivalry did not.
The stage is set, the seats are full, and the world is watching — again.
