India Champions Refuse To Play Pakistan in WCL 2025 Semifinal Amid Political Backlash: Sources
In a major development, the India Champions team has reportedly declined to take part in the semifinal of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 against Pakistan, scheduled for Thursday. The move follows their earlier decision to skip the group stage match against the same opponent, maintaining a consistent stance on avoiding fixtures involving Pakistan.
The Indian squad, featuring prominent names like Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Piyush Chawla, reached the semifinals after a dominant 10-wicket win over the West Indies Champions, chasing down the target in just 13.2 overs.
This decision also comes against the backdrop of criticism faced by the BCCI over the Asia Cup 2025 schedule, which has India set to face Pakistan on September 14. If both teams progress, two more meetings could take place on September 21 and 28. Tensions between the nations have remained high following the April terror attack in Pahalgam, which strained diplomatic relations. There had been speculation that the Asia Cup might be canceled, though it ultimately moved forward.
Previously, the league-stage clash between India and Pakistan in the WCL was officially scrapped after objections from Indian players and a key tournament sponsor. Former players like Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina publicly supported the boycott.
On Wednesday, WCL sponsor EaseMyTrip also withdrew its support for the semifinal, citing national interest. In a statement, co-founder Nishant Pitti said:
“We applaud Team India for their stellar performance. However, terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand. EaseMyTrip will not support any event involving Pakistan. Some things are bigger than sports—nation first, business later.”
India Champions have had a turbulent WCL campaign, starting with an 88-run loss to South Africa (via DRS), followed by defeats to Australia and England. Their match against Pakistan was abandoned, giving them a single point before their resurgence against the West Indies.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
