India Forfeit WCL Semifinal Against Pakistan, Hafeez’s Men March Into Final

The much-anticipated semifinal clash of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 between India Champions and Pakistan Champions will not take place after the Indian players refused to take the field. The decision, announced on Wednesday, came in the aftermath of the tragic Pahalgam terror attack, with India’s squad standing firm on the country’s stance against engaging Pakistan in bilateral sporting contests.

The semifinal was slated for Thursday at Edgbaston in Birmingham. With India pulling out, Pakistan Champions have advanced to the final by default. It will be their second straight WCL final, having finished as runners-up last year after losing to India. The controversy surrounding the India-Pakistan games in this edition had been brewing from the start. India had already forfeited their group-stage clash against Pakistan when several senior players opted out. Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh were among the most prominent names to lead that boycott. 

On Wednesday morning, Nishant Pitti, founder of EaseMyTrip and one of the prominent backers of the tournament, publicly supported the Indian players’ stance. Posting on X, Pitti congratulated Yuvraj Singh’s side for reaching the semifinals but stressed that “terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.” The Indian squad had made its position clear earlier in the tournament. Dhawan, for instance, had shared a screenshot of a mail he had sent to the WCL organizers, confirming that he would not participate in any fixture against Pakistan given the current tensions between the two countries. 

Even during India’s group match against England on July 27, Dhawan was asked by a fan whether he would play in a potential semifinal against Pakistan. Clearly frustrated, he shot back: “Brother, you’re asking this question at the wrong place right now. If you’re asking that, do you think I’m going to answer? You shouldn’t be asking this question. And if I haven’t played earlier, then I still won’t play.” 

The boycott for the semifinal was reportedly supported by other big names such as Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, and captain Yuvraj Singh himself. The players had conveyed to the organisers that they would not feature in the knockout game against Pakistan under any circumstances. 

As a result, Pakistan, led by Mohammad Hafeez, have been handed a direct passage to the title clash. Hafeez’s side topped the group stage with four wins in five games and looked one of the most consistent outfits of the tournament. India, meanwhile, barely scraped into the knockouts after finishing fourth in the group stage. They sealed their semifinal spot only after thrashing West Indies Champions in their last outing, chasing down a target in just 13.2 overs.