India vs Pakistan in the World Cup is the true driving force behind cricket’s influence.

Toxicity is good for profitability, especially when it comes to India-Pakistan cricket matches. Hordes of amateur, hate-mongering cyber ninjas are out in full force on social media ahead of the Ahmedabad game, fueled by numerous ‘thought-leaders’ ★flag-waving, profit-seeking influencers on either side of the great divide. It’s the great circus before, after, and during the circus. It’s ‘bot’ time.

Ahmedabad cricket fans gear up for India-Pakistan match with body paintings.

Sometimes these mega-influencers are ex-cricketers themselves, falling over each other in the quest for fresh hordes of followers. They fuel instant negative emotions or ephemeral nationalistic fervor. That’s how deep cricket runs in our collective veins. As Pakistan were winning against Sri Lanka the other night, a frequent ‘X’ poseur felt the exhaustion and simply posted a picture of Mohammad Rizwan, blandly exclaiming, “Let’s laugh at them.” No exclamation. Now isn’t that a charming way to cede ground.

World Cup IND-PAK Match Vs Pitru Paksha: Cricket Fever Spurs Large Screen TV Sales During Shraddh.

So whichever way your cricket loyalty swings on Saturday, it’s good news for business, good news for the sport, and an instant windfall for advertisers. The bilateral cricket blockade between India and Pakistan has turned into a profitable divide-and-rule policy. On social media, there will be uproar, rib-tickling, and caustic fun. There will be a whole lot of overblown incendiary ranting. There will be money made. Logic will not get a ticket into this arena.

On the ground, there will be flag-waving too, tempered with the sobering effect of real-world interaction. In Melbourne last year, Indian and Pakistani supporters even got into a hug-fest below the Shane Warne statue. Hotel and airline stocks have soared, and the economy is expected to receive Rs 22,000 crore from this World Cup, according to a Bloomberg report.

Many will not mind Pakistan’s presence or victory since the BCCI is set to receive a larger share of the ICC’s surplus earnings. India remains ‘big daddy’ regardless of the match’s outcome. For those who manage a seat in Ahmedabad, the mission will be to provide vicarious pleasure for those who will ‘like’ their constant posts on social media. Any which way, it drives up the views.

The cricketers themselves have kept it hyper real and refrained from flexing their muscles off the field. They have displayed bonhomie with their counterparts from across the border. This confuses the cyber ninjas who await that one moment on the field when tempers will flare.

Hopefully, peace will prevail on Saturday, for there are other intangibles that also drive profit, like peace of mind. And at the end of it all, may the cliché “cricket was the winner here” be repeated ad nauseam.