The highly anticipated semifinal between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Birmingham, has been officially cancelled. The Indian team refused to play against their arch-rivals, resulting in the match being awarded to Pakistan by default, who will now proceed directly to the final.
According to sources within the tournament’s promoter group, the Indian players reiterated their objection to facing the Pakistan side, particularly due to the inclusion of former cricketer Shahid Afridi. The Indian team had previously refused to play Pakistan during the league stage for similar reasons, citing strong personal and national sentiments.
This development comes in the wake of heightened anti-Pakistan sentiment in India, especially following the recent Operation Sindoor—a non-escalatory military response carried out by India in May, targeting terror elements responsible for a gruesome attack in Pahalgam. The incident has reignited public anger and further strained sporting relations between the two nations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come under fire for its prior decision to support India’s participation in the Asia Cup, a tournament in which India and Pakistan were scheduled to potentially face each other up to three times. The WCL controversy has intensified scrutiny on sporting ties between the two countries amid ongoing diplomatic and security tensions.
In another blow to the tournament, sponsor EaseMyTrip announced its withdrawal of support for the India-Pakistan match. In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, the company said: “Despite entering into a 5-year sponsorship agreement with the World Championship of Legends two years ago, our stance has always been clear—EaseMyTrip will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan. We proudly continue to support the India Champions but will not engage in any match featuring Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, the other semifinal of the tournament between South Africa and Australia is expected to go ahead as scheduled on Thursday. The final matchup will now feature Pakistan against the winner of that clash.
The cancellation of the India-Pakistan encounter—arguably the marquee fixture of any cricket tournament—has not only disrupted the championship’s schedule but also highlighted the growing intersection of sports and geopolitics in the subcontinent.
