Rs 4500 crore loss predicted; Pak boycotting India match comes at a cost

DUBAI: Apart from diplomacy, even cricket relations between India and Pakistan have touched their nadir. In the last few years, the two countries have been facing each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup. In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, players even cared not to give customary handshakes to others. The decision by the Pakistan government to boycott the match against India in the Twenty20 World Cup comes amid the ongoing stalemate.

The India-Pakistan match was scheduled in Colombo on February 15. Pakistan is boycotting the match, accusing India of orchestrating Bangladesh’s exit from the tournament. However, the team will play in other matches of the World Cup group stage. If Pakistan boycotts the match, India will be declared the winner. However, the financial loss will not be small.

The battle of the arch-rivals is also the biggest business in cricket. More than a sport, there is always an emotional baggage associated with Indo-Pak matches. The value of the India-Pakistan match is around 500 million dollars. That is around 4500 crore Indian rupees. The revenue generated from each India-Pakistan match is ten times higher than that of any other tournament in the world.

This amount is a combination of broadcasting rights, advertising revenue, sponsorship, ticket revenue, and legal betting. Therefore, the ICC and the broadcasters cannot imagine an ICC tournament without the India-Pakistan match. There will be a huge financial loss if Pakistan stick on their decision to boycott the match. It is estimated that there will be a loss of 300 crores in advertising revenue alone.