'Wait for six months, and you'll see Gill's jersey become the most sought after one.
If there is anything that sells like hotcakes after India-Pakistan match tickets, it is the jerseys of both teams.
Gopal Jasapara, a cricketer-turned-coach who owns Jasapara Sports Shop in Dubai, quickly ordered a huge stock of India and Pakistan jerseys. These were bought not only by those attending the match at the stadium but also by fans watching from select cinema theatres screening the game.
"This is the dress of the day for both nationalities, whether they are at home or outside," said Jasapara.
"I will wear a Pakistan jersey the whole day to show my support," said Mohammad Ali, a domestic cricketer who failed to get a match ticket.
Gone are the days when jerseys were sold simply by displaying them at a sports shop. Now, fans purchase them online, and these jerseys are delivered at lightning speed, much like hot pizzas upon order.
Budding cricketers love wearing their country's team jersey. Since most of them idolise Indian cricketers, they prefer jerseys with their favourite players' names on the back.
The hottest-selling jerseys are those of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. With Shubman Gill emerging as a consistent scorer and recently being elevated to vice-captain, fans have begun demanding his jersey too.
"Wait for six months, and you'll see Gill's jersey become the most sought after one," remarked a fan.
Razia, an experienced reporter, waited patiently after the Indian team's practice session just to get a picture with Gill. The number of fans shouting for Gill's autograph has grown louder. However, most were not lucky enough to get a photo with him.
UAE's left-arm spinner Rahul Bhatia had the opportunity to bowl to Virat Kohli.
"I was selected from among 20 domestic bowlers made available to the Indian team for practice," said Bhatia, who has played nine ODI matches for the UAE.
Rahul revealed that Kohli specifically asked him to bowl in certain areas, which he did. At the end, Kohli not only complimented him for his accuracy but also gave him a few tips.
In 2018, Rahul had delivered a five-wicket haul against Papua New Guinea. That same year, while playing for the UAE Under-19 team, he produced a six-wicket spell against Bahrain in the Asian Cricket Council Western Region tournament in Malaysia.
Dubai's road authorities are now focusing on creating broader pavements to encourage people to walk. Some fans, aware that parking inside the stadium could mean hours of waiting to exit after the match, decided to park farther away and walk to the venue.
Dubai is also in the process of designating certain localities as car-free zones. Fans carrying their national flags and chanting slogans in support of their teams created a vibrant and electrifying atmosphere.
There is a group of passionate fans passionate about collecting tickets from major matches. During recent ICC tournaments, I received multiple requests from fans eager to obtain match tickets as souvenirs. In the US, someone even asked if I could find discarded tickets on the road!.
Today, ardent fans keep match tickets as collector's items. Some even paste them on walls with captions like, 'I was there'.
Physical card tickets are becoming rare as most purchases are now made online. A fan proudly shared an India-Pakistan match ticket featuring images of both captains, cherishing the moment of having secured one.
During the break, I met a group of fans who don't just test each other's cricket knowledge but also observe details happening around them. A Pakistani fan surprised his friends by asking if they knew the license plate number of the team bus. When no one responded, he proudly revealed, "It's K 20454," showing a photo as proof.
Not to be outdone, an Indian fan challenged the group: "Who was the first to alight from the Indian team bus for the Pakistan match?" The answer? Hardik Pandya, who was seen stepping out ahead of Skipper Rohit Sharma.
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