WCL 2025: India vs Pakistan Legends Clash Officially Called Off After Players Boycott. The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, set for July 20 at Edgbaston, has been cancelled after a boycott by many prominent Indian players.
Things came to a head after former opener Shikhar Dhawan publicly said he would be pulling out of the match. He stated that he would not play Pakistan after the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Dhawan would be joined by other notable Indian legends such as Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Suresh Raina, who all pulled out of the fixture.
This was compounded when EaseMyTrip, a major sponsor of the tournament. They publicly announced they would not support any match that included Pakistan, which reflected the public mood of patriotism.
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WCL issued an official apology and confirmed the India vs. Pakistan match was cancelled. They stated that the fixture was originally intended to promote peace and goodwill. But they accepted the emotional attachment of recent events to both Indian players and fans.
The remainder of the WCL tournament will continue as planned. India Legends, with Yuvraj Singh as captain, are scheduled to play against other teams involved in the tournament, such as Australia, England, and West Indies, while Pakistan Legends, with Mohammad Hafeez, will continue their remaining matches.
This cancellation reflects the close bond between sport and the issue of nationality, especially in high-voltage India-Pakistan matches.
