The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, that was to be held on July 20 at Edgbaston, has been cancelled due to outrage and emotional responses from Indian fans and players.
The game was to be played by retired cricket legends from both countries, such as Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Harbhajan Singh, and Shikhar Dhawan.
In an early morning statement on Sunday, the WCL organisers announced the cancellation of the match. They expressed regret over unintentionally “hurting the feelings” of people and causing ‘discomfort’ to Indian cricket legends.
“We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments. Following the news of Pakistan’s hockey team visiting India this year, and watching the recent India-Pakistan volleyball match, and a couple of other matches between the two countries in other sports, we decided to go ahead with the India vs Pakistan match. Just to bring some cheerful moments to the people all over the world,” stated the official post on X.
“But perhaps in doing so, we accidentally hurt the sentiments of many and ruffled feathers. More than that, we inadvertently brought unease to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have brought so much pride to the nation, and we ended up impacting the brands who supported us simply because they loved the game. So we have decided to cancel the India vs Pakistan match. We truly apologize once again for offending the sentiments and hope everyone will realize that all we ever wished to do was deliver a few joyous moments to the fans.”
Dear all , pic.twitter.com/ViIlA3ZrLl
— World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025
The postponement follows increasing outrage among Indian cricket fans, especially after controversy over the latest Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, where 26 civilians were killed. This led India to retaliate by launching Operation Sindoor against terror camps across the border.
Numerous fans were critical of the decision by retired Indian cricketers to play a match against Pakistan shortly after the war. Among the most high-profile players to be set to play, Shikhar Dhawan had already pulled out of the match.
Gone to social media and said, “Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota.” (Translation: “I still stand by the step I took on 11 May. My country is everything for me and nothing is bigger than the nation.”)
Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota.
Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gLCwEXcrnR
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 19, 2025
Other Indian celebrities, such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan, were said to have withdrawn from the show in support.
The India-Pakistan WCL showdown would have been the first cricketing encounter between the two nations since the devastating terror strike in Pahalgam. But with emotions still fresh and nationalistic feelings paramount, the organisers eventually yielded to public and player sentiment, postponing the match indefinitely.
