According to reports, the Indian champions have chosen not to compete against the Pakistani champions in the current World Championship of Legends semifinal. The move will be consistent with their prior position, in which they boycotted their match against Pakistan in the tournament’s group stage. Prominent players Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh had protested against playing the opposition on Sunday, July 20.
According to an NDTV Sports report, this specific decision follows a social media backlash against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
After the Asia Cup schedule was revealed, the BCCI came under fire from those who were not aware that India would play Pakistan on September 14. There is a good chance that the two clubs will play each other at least once more, in the Super 4s match on September 21. If India and Pakistan get to the final, which is set for September 28, a third match may be played.
Following the recent terror incidents in Pahalgam and India’s response by initiating Operation Sindoor, diplomatic relations between the two countries have deteriorated. Earlier, there were rumours that the Asia Cup may be cancelled or postponed. However, the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) has confirmed the competition.
One of the primary WCL sponsors, EaseMyTrip, withdrew from the knockout match earlier on Wednesday, maintaining its long-standing stance against participating in any match involving Pakistan.
“Team India @India_Champions, you have made the country proud with your incredible achievement in the World Championship of Legends. We applaud you for that. The forthcoming semi-final matchup with Pakistan, however, is more than just a game; terror and cricket are incompatible. We support India, @EaseMyTrip. In an official statement, Nishant Pitti, co-founder of the travel technology company, said, “We cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism.”
After a thrilling five-wicket victory with 40 deliveries remaining, the India Champions advanced to the semi-finals. Stuart Binny’s scorching undefeated 21-ball fifty helped the Yuvraj Singh-led team chase down the 145-run mark in 13.2 overs. In order to beat the England Champions and go to the semi-final, they had to chase down the target in 14.4 overs.
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