WCL 2025: India vs Pakistan match cancelled after Dhawan, Harbhajan denied to play
WCL 2025: The highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, scheduled for July 20th in Birmingham, has been officially cancelled.
This decision comes after several prominent Indian cricketers, including Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh, publicly announced their withdrawal from the fixture due to ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two nations, particularly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attacks.
Shikhar Dhawan shared a statement on social media, reaffirming his stance not to play against Pakistan, a decision he had reportedly communicated to the WCL organizers as early as May 11, 2025. Other Indian legends like Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan also reportedly pulled out of the match.
The WCL organizers have issued an official apology, expressing regret for “hurting the feelings of many” and causing “discomfort” to the Indian cricket legends.
They stated that the decision to schedule the match was inspired by recent friendly encounters between India and Pakistan in other sports, with the aim of creating “happy memories” for fans.
However, considering the negative public sentiment and the withdrawal of key Indian players, they decided to call off the match.
Adding to the pressure, WCL sponsor EaseMyTrip also issued a strong statement, clarifying that despite a five-year sponsorship agreement, they would not associate with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan, emphasizing their “Bharat First. Always.” stance.
The WCL 2025 tournament, sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), is set to continue from July 18 to August 2 at various UK venues.
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