WCL 2025: Will India pull out of playing against Pakistan again? Uncertainty looms over semifinal
Political tensions and uncertainty loom over the upcoming World Championship of Legends 2025 Semi-Finals as India and Pakistan are slated to face off on July 31.
India qualified for the game after beating West Indies by five wickets in their last group stage game.
On Wednesday, EaseMyTrip, a sponsor for the matches, pulled out of supporting the two countries' finals just hours after the team won against West Indies.
EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pittii made a statement on X that said that they withdrew their support, saying, “Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.’ We cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism.”
He had also congratulated the team on their win, saying, “We applaud Team India for their outstanding performance in the World Championship of Legends.”
Pittii added, “Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first, business later. Always”
In the league stage, organisers had called off a game with Pakistan after players withdrew their names citing diplomatic tensions between the countries. Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh were two prominent figures who initiated the withdrawal. Dhawan had shared a screenshot of an email with the WCL authorities that said that he would not participate in the matches due to the geopolitical tensions.
When a fan asked about the upcoming semi-finals during the stage game with England, Dhawan had said, "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 organisers are yet to comment on whether India would participate in the match or not.
India snuck in a win and qualified for the semi-finals by gaining around 145 runs against the West Indies champions in the final group stage game. They finished fourth, whereas Pakistan finished at the top.
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