India vs Pakistan match called off in WCL 2025 after Indian players pull out; Organisers apologise for hurting sentiments amid intense backlash

India Champions vs Pakistan Champions match was scheduled to be played on July 20 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

The India Champions vs Pakistan Champions clash in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 has been called off. The encounter was scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 20, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Notably, the match was called off after several Indian players withdrew from the match. Former Indian cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan denied playing in the encounter against the Pakistan Champions.

Dhawan also shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his stand on not playing against Pakistan in the tournament. The WCL is witnessing its second season in England, and many former cricketers are part of the tournament.

India Champions vs Pakistan Champions called off, Organisers apologise on social media

The organisers of the tournament confirmed that the India Champions vs Pakistan Champions encounter has been called off. They also apologised on X for hurting the sentiments of the Indian community.

“After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL – just to create some happy memories for people around the globe,” the organisers released a statement on X.

“But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions. More than that, we unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have bought so much glory to the country, and we ended up affecting the brands who supported us purely out of love for the game”, the statement further said.

Notably, it was the first match of the India Champions in the tournament. Yuvraj Singh is the captain of the team. Their next game is scheduled to take place on July 22 against South Africa Champions at the County Ground, Northampton.

Meanwhile, six teams are part of the WCL 2025, namely- Pakistan Champions, England Champions, West Indies Champions, South Africa Champions, Australia Champions, and India Champions.

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