WCL 2025 Semifinal : India's Decision Not to Play Against Pakistan

India has withdrawn from the World Championship of Legends (WCL) cricket tournament ongoing in England after refusing to play the semi-final match against Pakistan. This decision has now qualified the Pakistan team directly for the final.

India's team had reached the semi-finals in this tournament. Former cricketers like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina represented India in this year's tournament. In the last group match held on Tuesday, India secured a strong victory against the West Indies to enter the final four.

However, after the horrific terrorist attack in the Pahalgam area, the Indian team decided to avoid playing against Pakistan. Following this attack, India had launched an operation named 'Operation Sindoor'. Subsequently, the Indian team made it clear that they were not willing to play against such a country.

The organizers of the competition, WCL, have respected India's decision through an official statement. According to them, "While sports can enable social change, the sentiments of the people are more important. We understand India's decision and also acknowledge Pakistan team's preparation for the competition."

Reacting to the matter, EaseMyTrip, the main sponsor company, has also supported India's stance. The company's co-founder Nishant Pitti wrote on social media, "Cricket and terrorism have no place together. Playing against a country that commits violence against the nation would be against national interest. EaseMyTrip will not be associated with any such match."

India had also refused to play against Pakistan in the group stage. At that time, some key players had withdrawn from the team. The semi-final scheduled for Thursday at Edgbaston has been canceled, and the Pakistan team will advance to the final match.