Nagpur: As Team India prepares to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup group match in Dubai on Sunday, September 14, the betting buzz in Nagpur has hit a new high despite a political storm surrounding the fixture.

City bookmakers are overwhelmingly backing the Men in Blue even though star duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are missing from the lineup for the first time in nearly two decades. Local punters are offering odds of 34–35 in India’s favour, meaning a ₹1,000 bet on India would yield just about ₹340 in profit, while a ₹350 wager on Pakistan could fetch ₹1,000—clearly signalling confidence in India’s form.

With online fantasy gaming and betting platforms shut after a government crackdown, traditional bookies are eyeing a business surge. Police sources said special squads are on high alert across Nagpur and have intensified surveillance on known hotspots to curb illegal wagering.

The high-stakes match has also sparked political criticism. Leaders from various parties have questioned the decision to play Pakistan barely five months after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, calling the timing insensitive to grieving families.

Cricket historians point out that the last time both Rohit and Virat missed an India-Pakistan contest was during the 2007 Bengaluru Test and a subsequent ODI in Gwalior. Today’s clash, therefore, marks only the second time in white-ball cricket that the marquee pair will be absent—prompting fans to dub it the “No Ro-Ko match.”

Nagpur Police have urged citizens to avoid illegal betting and assured that raids and real-time monitoring will continue through the night as the city braces for the Asia Cup’s most anticipated showdown.