• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Controversy Rocks Wcl 2025 As India Refuse To Play Against Pakistan In Semifinal Report

Controversy Rocks WCL 2025 As India Refuse To Play Against Pakistan In Semifinal: Report

Debashis Sarangi

India Champions have reportedly pulled out of WCL semifinal [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]India Champions have reportedly pulled out of WCL semifinal [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]

In a significant development, the Indian contingent has refused to participate in the semifinal of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) against the Pakistan Champions. It's worth mentioning that the Indian players also backed out of the group-stage clash against Pakistan earlier in the competition. 

Indian Players Maintain Anti-Pakistan Stance In WCL 2025

On Tuesday, India Champions qualified for the tournament semifinal after defeating West Indies in a riveting encounter. Chasing a 145-run total, the Indian team successfully gunned down the target inside 14 overs, riding on a magnificent half-century from Stuart Binny. 

India's win over the West Indies ensured their entry into the semifinal, where they were supposed to take on Pakistan on Thursday, July 31. However, the Men in Blue have refused to get involved in a cricket match against their arch-rivals amid the geopolitical tussle between the neighbouring countries. 

"Indian players have refused to play against Pakistan in the WCL semifinal scheduled for Thursday,” a source was quoted as saying by IANS. 

India-Pakistan Cricketing Ties In Aftermath Of OP Sindoor

The bilateral relationship between the South Asian neighbours worsened after India found concrete evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the tragic Pahalgam terror attack. In response to the barbaric attack on Indian tourists, the Indian military forces launched a series of air strikes in order to neutralise the terror camps on the other side of the border. 

Named as Operation Sindoor, the surgical strike highlighted India's zero tolerance to cross-border terrorism while putting the cricketing relations between both countries in jeopardy. 

While the India Champions' action has aligned with the national sentiment, the BCCI has received a lot of flak from the Indian supporters for agreeing to participate in the upcoming Asia Cup event alongside Pakistan. Notably, India and Pakistan have been kept in the same group and will face each other in a high-voltage encounter on September 14.