Kokatal cricket lovers make a dash for Dubai for India-Pakistan face-off

KOLKATA: With India and Pakistan set to clash on a cricket pitch at the Asia Cup in Dubai later this month, scores of fans from Kolkata are headed for the desert city to catch a nail-biting T20 battle, with a plan to club the on-field action with a tour of other hot spots. As the build-up to the high-voltage clash on August 28 whips up a frenzy, several travel agents are offering attractive packages that include the match.Some travel agents are also making offers for an Australia trip in late-October, which will coincide with the ICC T20 World Cup there, and include another India-Pakistan contest.
Kolkata businessman Aroon Sahani is excited about his Dubai trip, which he has planned only to catch the Indo-Pak match. “I will be staying back for two more days for a bit of sight-seeing but the match is the reason why I am going. I was there in England for the 2019 World Cup India-Pakistan match and also watched them play in Abu Dhabi during the last Asia Cup,” said Sahani.
Since Indo-Pak matches are rarely held nowadays and one can only watch them when played abroad, the demand for tickets soars, according to Travel Agents’ Federation of India president Anil Punjabi. “This time, too, there’s a similar rush for packages and tickets, especially for the August 28 match. Tickets for the match and the final on September 11 are fast being booked. It has helped that Dubai is among the most popular foreign destinations among Kolkatans and offers a grand scope to club travel and shopping. The Indo-Pak match will be the icing on the cake,” he said. Three night-four day packages are popular. On an average, it will cost Rs 1,20,000 for a couple, excluding match tickets. A general category ticket will cost Rs 15,000 that includes to-and-fro travel between the hotel and stadium, while a premium ticket could cost Rs 30,000.
After a Covid-induced two-year lull, the match was a major push for Gulf tourism, felt tour operators. Tourist flow from Kolkata to the Gulf is around 60,000 a year, with Dubai getting 45,000-50,000 visitors. “Dubai is the only Asian destination that attracted tourists even during the latter half of the pandemic. Now, with a high-voltage match thrown in, travellers couldn’t have asked for more,” said Punjabi.
Manav Soni of Travel Agents’ Association of India agreed. “Dubai is easy to travel and you need very little paperwork. Connectivity is excellent, travel time is short and it offers you a wide range of business and leisure options. An Indo-Pak match is big in this part of the world and an added reason to travel,” said Soni, adding flights were now more expensive than earlier.
Several packages are on offer for an Australia trip as India is set to face off with Pakistan on October 23 in Melbourne. Sports travel company Gainwell Sports is offering three categories of packages—value, deluxe and premium—priced between Rs 1,49,000 and Rs 1,80,000. But since these are likely to be sold to agents, the price could go up slightly.