Are fans turning away from cricket? The India vs England five-match away Test series saw a packed stadium. But before the Test, during the 2025 Indian Premier League, there were a significant number of vacant seats in the Indian stadiums. During the 2025 Asia Cup, the scene repeated during the India vs. UAE match. Watching that, former India cricketer Akash Chopra questioned the popular thought that Indian fans hover in any match where India plays. Speaking to his YouTube channel, Akash pointed out that despite not being a random bilateral series, India unable to pull the crowd is concerning. He said, "We always say this, don’t we — that if you make India play even on the moon, people will turn up wearing the blue jersey to watch them. And here, the match was happening in Dubai, with the Indian team out there in blue after such a long time. And this isn’t some random bilateral series — it’s the Asia Cup." He added, “Other than India–Pakistan, what bigger draw could there be? India drives the economy of cricket. Wherever India goes, whenever they play, whoever they play, especially after a long gap, people should come. But here, people didn’t.” Read also: Abhishek Sharma’s Father Hopes for Asia Cup Victory Asia Cup 2025 did not create the necessary hype, feels Akash Chopra Indian Men's cricket came back after a month of pause. Akash Chopra felt that, despite the halt, it could not create the necessary hype among the fans. He said, “This tournament hasn’t created the buzz. For whatever reason — there just isn’t enough talk about it.” He further felt that the UAE fans might be "overdosed" with relentless cricket. Very recently they had ILT20, where the scene wasn't different. 2025 Champions Trophy was an exception, according to Chopra, as fans from different corners came. He stated, “We’ve seen it before with ILT20 and with other matches in the UAE. Maybe it’s an overdose. Champions Trophy was an exception because it was an ICC event. People flew in from everywhere. But otherwise, people just don’t turn up here." He added, "If the UAE wants to establish itself as a legitimate cricket destination, they’ll need to find a way to make locals show up. Because if people don’t turn up for India’s matches, that’s a big concern." Read also: "Careful Sanju..." Former Ind batter warned Samson for his future position in team What can be the possible cause of empty seats? The 2025 Asia Cup has been a hot topic, as it involves both India and Pakistan on the same turf in the same group. Following the rising tensions between the two countries due to the Pahalgham attack, seven fans said to boycott the tournament. There are financial issues too. To promote the low-profile matches, the Emirates Cricket Board introduced an odd system where fans had to buy tickets for a series of seven matches together. And this is demanding a huge amount for what they have refrained from opting to visit the stadium for. Even till now, the tickets for the India vs. Pakistan match are not fully sold out.