&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IND vs PAK, WCL 2025: Indian players withdraw from high-voltage clash amid diplomatic row, organisers apologise")
Indian Champions’ star names, such as Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh, have withdrawn from the Indian Champions contest against Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). The news broke in the early hours of Sunday (July 20) as the fixture between the Indian Champions and the Pakistan Champions at Edgbaston has now been called off in the WCL 2025. The oragnisers issued an apology for the same, respecting the players' decision amid poor diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Indian players withdraw from WCL clash
“Dear All, We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments. 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,” WCL organisers said in a statement.
The diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan are at an all-time low after the recent Pahalgam terror attack in April, killing at least 26 innocent Indians by Pakistani terrorists. Since then, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, even leading to Operation Sindoor.
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With fan outrage to boycott Pakistan matches, Indian players like Harbhajan Singh, opener Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and all-rounder Yusuf Pathan reportedly withdrew from the contest just hours before it was supposed to take place in Birmingham. Despite serving treat to cricket fans all over the world, the decision was respected by the organisers who issued the apology to the fans.
It is not yet clear how the points table will reflect and what happens if both India and Pakistan meet in the final, as the organisers face a tough time fixing the issue.
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