Howzatttttt!
India takes on New Zealand in an adrenaline-pumping cricket match on Sunday, March 9, 2025 to see who will raise the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.
When India picked up the win in the semi-finals, thus confirming they were in the finals, tickets sold out within an hour, with over 100,000 fans virtually lining up trying to get possibly one of the hottest tickets in town.
If you are one of the lucky few to secure the ticket to possibly one of the biggest cricket matches this year, congratulations.
But before you head on over to the match on Sunday all giddy with excitement, here are a few things you need to know.
Getting there
As you can imagine, it’s a full house. That is a whopping 25,000 cricket fans all descending to the Dubai Sports City stadium on one afternoon. Yikes!
Save yourself the white-hair-inducing anxiety, and plan well in advance to get to the stadium on time so you can catch the whole match from the very first over.
A very (very) important tip: Leave the car at home, unless you want the additional stress of finding a car parking space and dealing with the back-to-back traffic once the winner lifts the trophy.
Secondly, sadly, there is no Dubai Metro connection, but… there is the official RTA bus.
From Internet City, hop on board the F34 and make the 20-minute journey to the Dubai Cricket Stadium bus stop. From here, it’s just a seven-minute walk to the venue. Buses will depart every 19 to 33 minutes, so don’t stress if you miss one.
From the Mall of the Emirates, hop on board the F37 bus and make the 35-minute journey to Dubai Cricket Stadium. From here, it is a little longer walk to the stadium, at about 20 minutes. The bus frequency is 20-30 minutes.
Important tip: Ensure you have enough balance on your nol card before you depart.
At the stadium
Once you’ve reached the stadium safely, ensure you have your valid ticket on you at all times. No reentry will be allowed, and this is not the match to decide to leave the stadium and come back, because there will only be a few things that will be more important.
All children above the age of three will require a ticket. Carry your little one’s Emirates ID as proof of age.
Gates open three hours before the match, giving you plenty of time. The match begins at 1pm.
Other useful tips
Carry sunglasses and a hat, and depending on how tolerant you are to the cool Dubai weather, carry a light jacket or a shawl.
Leave the bottles of water and bites at home, as these will be discarded before you enter the stadium. There are food and beverage stands at the stadium. You can make your purchase with credit cards.
Another thing to note: If your team wins, do not, under any circumstances, celebrate by using hazardous materials, fireworks, flares, laser pointers, or flammable substances to celebrate. Essentially, leave anything at home that can harm the lives of your fellow fans, the players, and officials. The Dubai Police will be involved, and you don’t want to be “that person” that ruined the fun.
Here is a list of other prohibited items: No remote controlled devices, no flash photography, no power banks – so ensure your phone battery is 100% before you leave home, no radio communication devices, no selfie sticks; monopods or umbrealls; no sharp objects, no political flags and no bikes; skateboards or scooters.
Smoking is also prohibited at the stadium.
For social media users, here’s something very important to note: You are not allowed to film the match and post it onto your social media. Either you will be stopped by security at the stadium (and most likely get your phone taken away), or your account will get flagged by Instagram. Instead, set the phones down and join with others to wave those flags and cheer for your team.
How to watch the match if you don’t have a ticket
First of all, cheer up; there will be possible matches in the future.
If you really want to watch the match and experience a slice of the electrifying atmosphere at the stadium, join one of the very many sports bars showing the match live.
Not only will you get to watch the match, but there will be some cool food and drink deals you can snap up you.
Here are a few options:
Bedrock
Bedrock Dubai at Pier 7 is the big kid playground. Live games take place on their 20 screens, and if you want it on the action, have a go at their state-of-the-art darts and their well-known indoor golfing area – ‘The Bunker’. Best of all, this is one of the sports bars in Dubai that will be streaming both the F1 and the footie across their many screens.
Bedrock Pier 7, Marina, Sun to Thur 12pm to 12am, Fri to Sat 12pm to 2am, Tel: (0)4 578 1668 @bedrockdxb
The Huddle
This popular sports bar in Old Dubai offers a buy one get one free on pints from Monday to Thursday from 12pm to 9pm. Just show this voucher to the staff to redeem.
The Huddle Sports Bar & Grill, Citymax Hotel Bur Dubai, Dubai, voucher avail until Aug 31, Tel: (0)50 100 7065. facebook.com/TheHuddleBurDubai
The Irish Village
This iconic venue that has been around for as long as most can remember. Irish Village in Al Garhoud has been open and thriving since 1996. From Monday to Thursday from 11am to 5pm, enjoy wines, spirits and bottled beers for just Dhs35.
The Irish Village, Al Garhoud, happy hour runs from Mon to Thurs aam to 5pm. Tel: (0)4 282 4750 theirishvillage.com
Estrellas Rooftop Lounge
Over the summer you can enjoy happy hour on Estrellas air-conditioned rooftop with 50 per cent discount on delicious sips to further cool you down. Feeling peckish? The half-off deal is available on food, too.
Estrellas Rooftop Lounge, The Canvas Dubai Hotel, Port Rashid Road, happy hour runs daily 6pm to 9pm, Tel: (0)58 178 0325. @estrellasrooftopdubai
Ok11
There’s a live big screen at OK11 Sports Lounge that’s ready for everyone to watch the match. So head down on Sunday to the Concorde Inn Hotel, opposite Dubai Museum and witness some incredible sportsmanship and talent.
OK11 Sports Lounge, Concorde Inn Hotel @ok11sportslounge
Buffalo Wings & Rings
Buffalo Wings & Rings is dedicated to bringing you the best deals in town across its branches in JLT and DIFC. Not only are the meals and drinks delicious, but they’re also pocket-friendly, so while you’re watching any of your favourite sports, happy hour drinks deals and more make it the perfect spot to head to.
DIFC – Level C, Liberty House, Tel: (0)50 247 1226/(0)4 359 6900, JLT- Lake Level, Cluster U, Tel: (0)50 961 8122/(0)4 321 6112. @buffalodubai
TJ’s
A local watering hole for many in the JLT neighbourhood. At TJ’s you’re promised incredible vibes, and all your sports bar needs to be catered to. The laidback spot is perfect for a pint while watching the football, or catching up with friends after a long day at work.
TJ’s, Taj Hotel, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Al Thanyah, open Mon to Thu 11am to 12am and Fri to Sun 11am to 2am. Tel: (0)4 574 1111 @tjs.dubai
