No India vs Pak Match In WCL After Shikhar Dhawan, Other Players Pull Out

The India vs Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends has been cancelled after Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and many other players pulled out. The match, scheduled to take place in Birmingham (England), was to be held on Sunday (July 20), but the Indian players' stance forced the organisers to call off the contest. The decision was announced by the organisers on social media after Shikhar Dhawan reiterated his stance of not playing against Pakistan. Ahead of the scheduled Indo-Pak showdown, Dhawan took to social media to share the letter he wrote to the organisers about his decision not to play against Pakistan in the tournament. The decision comes in the wake of the tensions between the two countries on the border, especially after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that led to 26 tourists being killed.

While India and Pakistan have not been playing bilateral cricket against each other for more than a decade, the two sides do square off in multi-team events organised by the International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council. With the WCL being a private competition, however, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) neither controls the league nor its players.

"The event organisers of WCL have confirmed that tomorrow's match between India and Pakistan (Sunday 20th July at 16.30) has been cancelled. Please do not attend as the stadium will be closed. All ticket holders will receive a full refund, please see below for further details," the official X account of Edgbaston Stadium announced.

Taking to social media, Dhawan confirmed his stance on the eve of the contest He said: "Jo Kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh see badhkar aur kuch nahi hota. (The decision I took on 11 May, I still stand by it. My country is everything to me, and nothing is greater than the country)."

Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota.

Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/gLCwEXcrnR

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 19, 2025

Dhawan also shared the mail he wrote to the WCL orgnisers about his decision, which was first communicated on May 11, this year.

"This is to formally reiterate and confirm that Mr. Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This decision was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025."

"In view of the current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan, Mr Dhawan and his team have taken this position after due consideration. We respectfully request the league's understanding and cooperation on this matter," the mail reads further.

As per NDTV sources, other former India players like Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan also pulled out of the match against Pakistan.

It isn't yet clear what decision the organisers would take if India and Pakistan reach the final of the tournament. 

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