India-Pakistan WCL 2025 Match Called Off

The much-awaited fourth match of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) between the India Champions and Pakistan Champions has officially been called off. The contest was scheduled to take place at Edgbaston on July 20, and many fans were looking forward to a high-octane contest. However, things started to change after several Indian players withdrew from the contest due to political reasons.

“The fixture was planned to create happy memories for fans,” the statement read. “But we understand that it may have caused unease to the Indian legends and fans. We sincerely apologise for hurting sentiments and have decided to cancel the match.”

Why IND vs PAK Cancelled?

Players such as Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, and others decided not to play against Pakistan. It was later found out that the rising tension between the two nations following the tragic Pahalgam attack was the reason behind this move. WCL organisers realised that the clash could backfire, so they decided to call off the match and released a statement.

The WCL 2025 has already delivered several entertaining matches so far; however, as the day approached for the ind vs pak wcl clash, news broke that left the cricketing world in shock, and the ‘IND vs PAK cancel’ started trending on social, and the game was officially off.

Let's be honest, when it's India vs Pakistan, it doesn't matter if it's a World Cup match, a friendly, or a WCL match. The rivalry is historical and unmatched, but sometimes you have to think beyond these things and put your nation first. As BCCI stood its ground to discontinue the sporting relations with Pakistan, this move by these former Indian legends couldn't be more perfect.

Even earlier this year, ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, India decided not to travel to Pakistan, after which the tournament was held in a hybrid model, as the Men in Blue played their matches in Dubai. Despite being the host, Pakistan had to travel to Dubai to play against India, which speaks a lot about India's importance of being in the tournament.

South Africa edge West Indies in WCL thriller

The contest between India and Pakistan may have been called off, but there is no compromise with the entertainment in the tournament so far. The second match of the tournament was nothing but a thriller in every aspect. South Africa Champions and West Indies Champions clash against each other in a rain-affected contest. The match was reduced to 11 overs per side. West Indies scored 79 runs in the first innings, and the Proteas were given a target of 81 runs to be chased down in 11 overs.

It looked like the South Africa team would chase the target easily, but the Caribbean bowlers made it hard for them. The South African side lost their first two wickets for just two runs, including their skipper AB de Villiers' dismissal. However, Hashim Amla and Sarel Erwee steadied the ship and built a 42-run stand for the third wicket. Just when it looked like the duo could end the match, WI pacer Sheldon Cottrell brought his team back in the game by dismissing both players.

But JP Duminy's quickfire 25-run knock off 12 balls kept the Proteas alive in the game as they ended up scoring 80 runs after 11 overs. The match was tied, but South Africa won the contest by defeating WI in the bowl-out contest. It reminded fans of the famous bowl-out contest between India and Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup, where the MS Dhoni-led team defeated the Men in Green. After the IND vs PAK cancel, India Champions will play their first match of WCL 2025 against South Africa Champions on July 22.