Yuvraj, Harbhajan Lead Boycott, India Withdraws from WCL 2025 Semi-final, Pakistan to Final. The highly anticipated WCL 2025 semi-final between India Champions and Pakistan Champions was scrapped after the Indian side decided to uphold the nation’s strong political and emotional sentiment following the Pahalgam terror attack.
With India’s refusal to engage in bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, the match—originally set for Thursday at Edgbaston, Birmingham—was officially called off. The decision, driven by a united stance from legends like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and others, led to Pakistan Champions advancing to the final via walkover.
India’s pullout granted Pakistan Champions a walkover into the final, securing their second straight WCL title clash appearance. In the inaugural edition last year, they had reached the final as well but fell short against India, finishing as runners-up. This year, they now await their opponent in hopes of clinching their maiden WCL title.
In an official statement, the World Championship of Legends (WCL) organisers expressed respect for India Champions‘ decision to withdraw from the semi-final, citing their stance on not engaging in sporting ties with Pakistan.
The statement also acknowledged Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete and confirmed that, with the match called off, Pakistan would advance to the final by default.
WCL Issues Statement Respecting India’s Withdrawal, Confirms Pakistan’s Final Berth
The WCL organisers acknowledged the semi-final cancellation with a statement that balanced their commitment to the spirit of sport with respect for prevailing public sentiment. They respected India Champions’ decision to withdraw and appreciated Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete.
Taking all factors into consideration, the WCL organisers called off the match and confirmed Pakistan Champions’ progression to the final. Earlier in the evening, PTI reported that several senior players from the India Champions squad — including Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina — had declined to participate in the semi-final against Pakistan.
Their united decision was rooted in a principled stand against engaging in sporting ties with Pakistan, especially in light of recent national events, ultimately leading to the team’s withdrawal from the high-profile clash.
Their collective decision reflected a firm stand in line with national sentiment, ultimately influencing the team’s withdrawal from the high-profile knockout clash.
Their collective stance reflected a firm alignment with the nation’s sentiment in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, ultimately leading to the team’s withdrawal from the high-stakes knockout clash.
India’s Consistent Stance: League Match vs Pakistan Also Called Off
This wasn’t the first instance of India Champions refusing to face Pakistan in the WCL 2025, having previously skipped their league-stage encounter as well.
Earlier in the tournament, during the league stage, the Indian team had taken a similar stand by declining to play their scheduled match against Pakistan.
In response the WCL organisers called off the league-stage clash and issued a formal apology to the Indian team, stating they had “unintentionally caused discomfort.”
The move reflected the organisers’ awareness of the sensitive nature of the situation and their respect for India’s stance.
Contrasting Campaigns: Pakistan Top Group, India Sneak Into Semis
India Champions were slated to meet Pakistan Champions in the semi-final clash at Edgbaston on Thursday.Led by Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan Champions topped the league stage with an impressive four wins in five matches. In contrast, India had a shaky run—losing all their initial group-stage games—before staging a late comeback.
Their emphatic victory over West Indies Champions on Tuesday, where they chased down the target in just 13.2 overs, secured them a fourth-place finish and a spot in the knockouts.
Indian Sponsor Withdraws Support Ahead of IND vs PAK WCL Clash
Earlier, EaseMyTrip, a leading sponsor of the WCL, withdrew its support for the India vs Pakistan semi-final citing national interest. The move, made in alignment with national sentiment, was shared publicly by company co-founder Nishant Pitti on social media.
“Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand,” wrote EaseMyTrip co-founder Nishant Pitti on X (formerly Twitter), as he voiced the company’s strong stance in support of Team India and national sentiment.
Pitti stressed that EaseMyTrip could not support any event seen as normalizing ties with a nation “that promotes terrorism,” reaffirming the company’s alignment with public sentiment.
His statement further solidified EaseMyTrip’s decision to withdraw sponsorship from the India vs Pakistan WCL semi-final.