The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan of the 2023 Asia Cup is yet to be sold out. It might sound surprising but chances of rain interruption and high prices of tickets have come as a dampener hours before the high-voltage encounter set to be hosted at the Pallekele International Stadium, near Kandy. According to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) website, more than 9000 tickets are yet to be sold in the stadium that boasts of a capacity of 35,000.

At Pallekele, around 8,151 Grass Embankment tickets have gone unsold, which according to local fans do not offer great viewing and with chances of downpour could also spoil the party.

It must be noted that, along with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and PCB are in charge of setting ticket prices. In order to avoid a deserted look, the organizers were forced to slash the ticket rates to Rs 1,500 (LKR) after which local fans started lining up at the gates on Saturday.

To note, IND vs PAK Group A tickets start from $30 or LKR 9,661 and go up to LKR 96,607. But now with a lukewarm response, SLC are offering IND vs PAK and IND vs NEP for LKR 2,560 or $7.95 with the hopes of avoiding empty seats. SLC has also reduced the ticket price for the India vs Pakistan match to $4.66 (LKR 1500).

“The PCB has offered a special deal on the much-anticipated contest between India and Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 2. The fans are encouraged to take advantage of this limited-time offer. They can secure seats at special offers and become a part of the electrifying atmosphere,” a tweet from SLC read.

“Limited Tickets for the Grass Embankment and Scorecard Grass Embankment at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium are going up for the Asia Cup showdown between Pakistan. The tickets will be available at Rs 1500 (LKR). Also, the match between India v Nepal on 4 September will be available at the same price. Further in an exclusive package for fans, a package for both games will be available Rs. 2560 (LKR),” the tweet further read.

The organizers, however, have managed to sell out Level A Stadium worth $300. But for the rest of the stadium, it could offer a deserted look as 78 seats of the Grand Stand Level B are still unsold. Similarly, 251 seats of B Lower VIP stand and 658 of A Lower VIP stand remained unsold.