After a month-long tantrum during the 2025 Asia Cup, with even the ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi running away with the Trophy itself, India and Pakistan are back again for another contest in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Who doesn't know about the Asia Cup drama! Even though India was not playing Pakistan in any bilateral series, India met Pakistan at least 5 times since 2024. In fact, the Champions Trophy Gautam Gambhir took pride in a few days back during the press conference after the SA Series massacre, and they enjoyed a good stagnant stay during the Champions Trophy, unwilling to tour Pakistan. The teams came to the UAE to play against India, and some retreated halfway! In such a scenario, where both teams are standing on an uncompromised front and yet not denying staying in the same group as each other, the question arises: is nationalism a gimmick? Does money speak more than the tricolor? The Economics in plain sight The 2025 Champions Trophy yielded a massive 206 million viwers from India, which dwarfs the figures of other matches in the tournament itself. For that tournament, industry reporting put 10-second TV ad spots for marquee matches in the tens of lakhs of rupees. Reports cited rates up to ₹30–35 lakh per 10 seconds around the Champions Trophy final. Broadcaster windfalls: Broadcasters build entire tournament economics around India–Pakistan games. JioStar reportedly earned ₹800–900 crore in ad revenue from the Champions Trophy 2025, driven largely by this marquee clash. For the Asia Cup 2025, SonyLIV and Sony Sports Network also went big, with rights worth US$170 million and ad-revenue targets running into the hundreds of crores. Tournament & host gains: Hosts and boards profit handsomely. The BCCI expected a net surplus of ~Rs 6,700 crore in 2025–26, with the Asia Cup adding over Rs 100 crore. Asia Cup 2025 commercial summaries show near sell-outs, with total revenues around INR 700 crore across platforms. Direct board payouts (Pakistan example): Pakistan’s share of proceeds from the Asia Cup/ACC distributions was also material: reporting estimated the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would receive about 1.1 billion PKR (roughly INR 34 crore at contemporary exchange estimates) in distributions for the relevant ACC cycle; that was broken down to per-match equivalents in some analyses. Read also: T20 World Cup 2026 Schedule: Dates, Times, Fixtures, Teams & Venues Announced Why India–Pakistan matches out-earn others Indo–Pak games dominate financially through three channels: TV/streaming viewership drives higher ad rates (Champions Trophy 2025 proved this), sponsorship premiums spike as brands pay more for the rivalry (Asia Cup 2025 saw strong inventory sales), and on-ground receipts soar via tickets, corporate boxes, and hospitality. Combined, these make the fixture a major economic lever. The commercial logic is clear: boards, hosts, and broadcasters schedule these matches to maximise revenue. Political tensions prevent bilateral series, so clashes occur only in multilateral tournaments, making them unavoidable and monetisable. Passion is real, but the packaging — prime-time slots, streaming exclusives, and global distribution — is optimised to boost returns. Numbers do speak A single India–Pakistan match can match or exceed ad revenue from many other tournaments. Champions Trophy 2025 earned ₹800–900 crore, driven by marquee fixtures like India–Pakistan. Asia Cup 2025 boosted the BCCI’s expected surplus (~Rs 6,700 crore) by over Rs 100 crore, while PCB earned around 1.1bn PKR from ACC distributions, showing both boards benefit handsomely. Thus, when "no-handshake" spreads like a virus, there stays an obvious "why" behind every face-off. However, the national flags, faces painted with colors, and gallery fights—everything often dims the very obvious show- that is BUSINESS.