India Legends, including Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh, refuse to play WCL 2025 semi-final against Pakistan, citing political tensions.
The semi-final clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 has been called off following a united boycott by former Indian cricket stars.
In keeping with the nation's position against bilateral sporting interactions with Pakistan following the devastating Pahalgam terror assault, players from the India Champions team have declined to participate against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends semifinals in Birmingham on Saturday. Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and others have already stated that they are not interested in playing against Pakistan in the knockout stage, according to a PTI report.
The players had earlier boycotted the league-stage encounter against Pakistan, signaling a consistent stand rooted in patriotism and protest against cross-border terrorism. The WCL organizers, after efforts to convince the Indian side, eventually had to cancel the match, triggering strong reactions across the cricketing world.
The tournament's semi-final matchup between India and Pakistan was set for Thursday at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. With four victories in five league stage games, the team captained by Mohammad Hafeez finished first in the standings and advanced to the knockout stages. In contrast, India just qualified for the semi-finals after defeating the West Indies Champions with a commanding victory on Tuesday, chasing down the target in only 13.2 overs. They ended fourth in the group stage. They had lost every group-stage game before that.
"We applaud Team India @India_Champions for their outstanding performance in the World Championship of Legends, you've made the nation proud. However, the upcoming semi-final against Pakistan is not just another game, Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand," Pitti wrote on his 'X' handle.
The controversy intensified when EaseMyTrip, a major sponsor of the WCL, announced its withdrawal. The co-founder of the company Nishant Pitti posted on social media stating, "Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand," and announced the decision to withdraw from all events that have Pakistan involvement. This corporation move added financial as well as symbolic power to the player protests. It indicates conveying that the whole issue has been raised above mere sport and has converted into a much broader ethical and political debate. In fact, people across Indian social media appreciated EaseMyTrip's move to much extent, with many hailing it as the statement: "Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first, business later."
For cricket and diplomacy, the boycott by India of the semi-final leads to a heated discussion. Pakistan Champions reportedly demanded a walkover into the final as opposed to a shared point system while former Pakistani cricketers have reacted sharply to India's contradictory stance-especially because India is going to play Pakistan in the next Asia Cup. Critics are calling for a separation of sports from politics, while supporters of the boycott argue that national security issues and public sentiment cannot be sidelined. The WCL organizers apologized for having hurt sentiments but would remain mum on how the tournament benefits.
It has once again proved that cricket between India and Pakistan is not a mere game: India Champions have forfeited, thereby handing final entry to Pakistan. More important, this controversy is expected to influence future India-Pakistan ties, whether in veterans' leagues or international tournaments, today. If the tensions between the two countries remain unresolved, then future India-Pakistan encounters would not be just at veterans' leagues, but at international tournaments as well.
