India Champions withdraw from the WCL semi-final against Pakistan

India Champions chose not to play in the semi-final in WCL against Pakistan for their stand on the Pahalgam terror attack.

India Champions decided to withdraw from playing the semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 against Pakistan, which prompted the organisers to call off the match. The team grabbed headlines for maintaining their stance of not playing against Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

Decision by the India Champions to not play the WCL semi-final.

India Champions made news for officially withdrawing from the scheduled clash against Pakistan at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. This prompted the organizers to call off the match. The decision, which was collectively taken by the players, was in protest of the horrific Pahalgam terror attack and in line with India’s long-standing stance against bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan. Although the team has yet to release an official statement, an insider told The Times of India that the players chose to withdraw from the semi-final in order to prioritise national sentiment over their sporting obligations.

More on India Champions’ decision to withdraw from WCL semi-final.

An insider on condition of anonymity said, “We are not playing against Pakistan (in semis). Our country and nation will always be at the top for us, and then anything. India ke liye kuch bhi. We are proud members of the Indian team. We have struggled and worked hard to put the Indian flag on our shirts, and we earned it. We will never let our country down, no matter what. Bharat Mata ki jai.” The insider added, “Even if we had entered the final and faced Pakistan, we all would have done the same. We all Indians are on the same page.”

Respecting the decision made by the India Champions players, the WCL organisers called off the game. This made Pakistan qualify for the final.