Long line of fans were seen waiting outside the Dubai International Stadium for the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan set to take place on September 14, Sunday. In a video shared by a journalist on X, majority of the fans were seen wearing the blue jersey, with Indian diaspora likely to be present at the venue in large numbers.
According to reports, Dubai Police has announced strict advisory that fans are to come into the stadium at least 3 hours before the match gets underway. Hence, the spectators have started flooding in already. The atmosphere is expected to be electric inside the venue, given the match will take place on the backdrop of a recent military skirmish between the two nations. Accordingly, players will also come massively under the scanner for their gestures and send-offs.
On the cricketing side of things, both India and Pakistan began their campaigns with crushing wins over UAE and Oman, respectively. Although Pakistan is known for their unpredictability, Team India's depth across facets and the presence of multi-faceted cricketers should be enough to squeeze their arch-rivals.
"We didn't think we were going to be coming at one stage" - Ryan ten Doeschate
Team India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke in the presser yesterday and suggested that they are majorly going to focus on cricket but equally keep in rememberance the sentiments of the people back home. The former Dutch cricketer said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"It's a very sensitive issue and I've got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public. The Asia Cup was in limbo for a long period of time and we were just waiting. We didn't think we were going to be coming at one stage. You know what the Indian government's stance is and now the team and particularly the players, you have to put those sentiments and the emotions behind. That's something we addressed in the team meeting today."
India and Pakistan last played during the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year which also took place in Dubai.
