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, the finite wells of their imagination being constantly refilled by numerous 'thought-leaders' - flag-waving, profit-seeking influencers on either side of the great divide who fancy their chances at playing spinmeister. It's the great circus before, after and during the circus. It's 'bot' time.
Sometimes these mega-influencers are ex-cricketers themselves, falling over each other in the quest for fresh hordes which will click the 'follow' button, fuelling either instant negative emotion or ephemeral nationalistic fervour - but rarely, if ever, cold indifference.
That's how deep cricket runs in our collective veins, though sometimes, of course, either narrative can comically run its course. As Pakistan were cantering to a grand win over Sri Lanka the other night, a frequent 'X' poseur felt the exhaustion deep in his bones, simply posting a picture of Mohammad Rizwan and blandly exclaiming, "Let's laugh at them." No exclamation. Now isn't that a charming way to cede ground.
So whichever way your bile sack of cricket loyalty swings on Saturday, it's good news for business, good news for the sport and instant windfall for advertisers.
The 'divide-and-rule' policy wasn't originally intended for sporting profit, but the bilateral cricket blockade between India and Pakistan has turned it into just that - if it's a multilateral event or a World Cup featuring India and Pakistan, it's bonanza time.
On social media, there will be general uproar, cruel 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, though hopefully tempered with the sobering effect of real-world interaction, as the grand welcome for the Pakistanis in Hyderabad showed. There will be song and dance and celebrity sightings inside the stadium.
In Melbourne last year during the T20 World Cup, Indian and Pakistani supporters even got into a hug-fest below the Shane Warne statue, though apparently there aren't that many visas issued this time around.
1/10:ODI World Cup: India vs Pakistan key battles
PTI
2/10:India vs Pakistan
<p>Arch-rivals India and Pakistan meet in a blockbuster clash at the World Cup in Ahmedabad on Saturday. </p>AP
3/10:Key battles
<p>A look at four key battles that could decide the eagerly-awaited contest at the world's biggest cricket stadium. </p>IANS
4/10:Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi
<p>India skipper Rohit Sharma has struggled against Shaheen Shah Afridi's left-arm pace in the few outings the two teams have had in recent times. </p>Getty Images
5/10:Shaheen Shah Afridi
<p>Shaheen rattled Rohit's off stump in their first Asia Cup match in Pallekele last month when the opener's lack of footwork saw him bowled for 11. </p>Getty Images
6/10:Virat Kohli vs Haris Rauf
<p>The stakes were high when Virat Kohli came up against Haris Rauf in a challenging chase at the T20 World Cup in Melbourne last year. </p>Getty Images
7/10:King Kohli
<p>India needed 31 off the last 18 balls while chasing 160 when Kohli held his nerve to smash Rauf for two sixes to bring the house down at a packed MCG. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Babar Azam vs India pacers
<p>Pakistan captain Babar Azam took on the Indian attack with ease as he and Mohammad Rizwan steered the team to a 10-wicket victory at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai. </p>Getty Images
9/10:Jasprit Bumrah
<p>But two years later, Jasprit Bumrah and company learnt their lessons when they bowled out Pakistan for 128 in a crushing 228-run win in an Asia Cup Super Four clash. </p>ANI
10/10:Iftikhar Ahmed vs Kuldeep Yadav
<p>Iftikhar Ahmed can play anchor or go after the bowling with equal ease but at the Asia Cup last month, Kuldeep Yadav cut short the batsman's knock, taking a smart catch off his own bowling. </p>ANIHotel and airline stocks have soared, and conservative estimates indicate Rs 22,000 crore will be added to the economy from this World Cup, according to a Bloomberg report, a large chunk fuelled by this one particular game.
Many of the usually surly kinds here won't even mind Pakistan's presence or even victory - god forbid - since the BCCI is now set to receive 38.5% of the ICC's surplus earnings from 2024-27, up from 22% share in the current 2015-23 cycle.
No other ICC Full Member has a double-digit percentage share. No matter who wins on the ground, India remains 'big daddy'.
Reality isn't everyone's cup of tea, though. For many who manage a seat in Ahmedabad, the sole mission will be to provide vicarious pleasure for those who will 'like' their constant posts on social media, and even for those who will vehemently express their displeasure. Any which way, it drives up the views.
1/10:ODI World Cup: Pakistan's all-loss record against India
AP
2/10:India vs Pakistan
<p>India have defeated Pakistan seven times out of seven at the ODI World Cup since they first met in Sydney in 1992. </p>PTI
3/10:1992 World Cup
<p>At Sydney, a low-scoring affair which was remembered more for Javed Miandad jumping up and down in a bizarre attempt to mimic wicketkeeper Kiran More. </p>Getty Images
4/10:Sachin Tendulkar
<p>Sachin Tendulkar hit an unbeaten 54 as Pakistan failed to chase a modest 217-run total, losing by 43 runs. </p>Getty Images
5/10:1996 World Cup
<p>Pakistan lost again by 39 runs in Bangalore in 1996 and the defeat resulted in a furious reaction back home -- skipper Wasim Akram was even alleged to have feigned injury. </p>Getty Images
6/10:1999 World Cup
<p>At the 1999 World Cup, Wasim and his team were subjected to a match-fixing inquiry after they lost by 47 runs to India and slumped to a shock loss to Bangladesh. </p>Getty Images
7/10:2003 World Cup
<p>Pakistan lost their 2003 World Cup encounter by six wickets as they were outdone by Sachin Tendulkar's brilliance in the chase at Centurion. </p>Getty Images
8/10:2011 World Cup
<p>A high-profile semi-final also went to India by 29 runs in Mohali in 2011. </p>AFP
9/10:2015 World Cup
<p>A packed house in Adelaide saw Virat Kohli's century subdue Pakistan by 76 runs in the 2015 World Cup. </p>Getty Images
10/10:2019 World Cup
<p>Pakistan once again fell short in 2019, in Manchester, as they lost by 83 runs in a rain-hit game after a Rohit Sharma hundred. </p>Getty ImagesEven as the anticipation reaches fever pitch, it comes as a breath of fresh air that so far - so far only - the cricketers themselves have kept it hyper real and refrained from flexing their muscles off the field.
In fact, they have gone out of their way to display bonhomie with their counterparts from across the border.
A Kohli can nonchalantly meet a Babar. Haris Rauf can chat with Kohli on camera, no doubt raising the hackles of many. Shaheen can gift Bumrah something for his newborn, and Bumrah can bow and smile and say 'thank you' many times for the pleasure of the cameras.
This no doubt confuses the cyber ninjas on both sides, who patiently await that one moment on the field when tempers will flare, so that keyboards can burst into action.
Hopefully that one moment will not come on Saturday, for there are other intangibles that also drive profit - like peace of mind. And at the end of it all, may that colossus of cliches - "cricket was the winner here" - be repeated ad nauseam.
