Champions Trophy: Empty Stands Haunt India vs Bangladesh- Lalit Modi Questions ODI Relevance

Empty stalls at the Dubai International stadium sparks debate

February 20, 2025: The Champions Trophy 2025 has once again failed to attract crowds, with the India vs Bangladesh match in Dubai International Stadium witnessing large sections of empty stands. This follows similar criticism during the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi.

Also Read: Champions Trophy: India vs Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma Denies Axar Patel Hat-Trick, Hardik Pandya Drops Catch

🔹 Lalit Modi’s Strong Reaction

• Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi took to X (Twitter) to question the relevance of One-Day Cricket:
  “Watching the @ICC Champions Trophy match between #India and #Bangladesh. Stands are empty. That would not happen at an #IPL game. Is the One-Day format becoming irrelevant to the fans? Should One-Day cricket be scrapped in favor of Test cricket?”
• His comments have reignited the debate on the future of the 50-over format, with many fans suggesting that T20 leagues like IPL have overshadowed ODIs.

Also Read: Champions Trophy: Big Blow For Pakistan! Fakhar Zaman Ruled Out Due To Injury

🔹 Disappointing Turnout Despite India’s Match

• Even with India playing their first match, the lack of spectators surprised commentators and triggered discussions across social media.
• Fans posted images of empty stands, questioning why a high-profile ICC tournament is struggling to draw crowds.
• Some blamed the venue selection, saying the Champions Trophy should be played in cricket-loving nations like India, England, or Australia instead of the UAE.

🔹 Match Update: India vs Bangladesh

📌 Toss: Bangladesh won and opted to bat
📌 Venue: Dubai International Stadium, Dubai
📌 Current Status: Bangladesh struggling at 89/5 (23.4 overs)

🔹 India’s Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.

🔹 Bangladesh’s Playing XI: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.

📊 Is ODI Cricket Losing Popularity?

🏟 Reasons for Empty Stands:
✅ Lack of marketing & hype for Champions Trophy
✅ Dubai venue not ideal for massive crowds
✅ Fans prioritizing IPL & T20 cricket
✅ Rising preference for shorter formats

With declining interest in bilateral ODIs and empty stadiums at ICC events, many are questioning the future of One-Day cricket. Should ICC revamp the Champions Trophy or scrap the format entirely?

💬 What do you think? Is ODI cricket becoming irrelevant? Should ICC move tournaments to fan-friendly venues? 🤔

🔜 Stay tuned for more live updates! 🎬🔥

🌍 Tags:

IndiaVsBangladesh, ChampionsTrophy2025, INDvsBAN, CricketLive, ODIRelevance, LalitModi, EmptyStands