By Zainab Shafiq 
In a dramatic late twist on July 30, 2025, Indian cricketers withdrew from the WCL semifinal, forfeiting their July 31 Edgbaston clash with Pakistan and exiting the World Championship of Legends 2025. Citing heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attacks, team officials confirmed that Indian cricketers withdrew from the WCL semifinal, clearing Pakistan’s path directly to the final.
Indian cricketers withdraw from WCL semifinal: What changes now?
Pakistan advance automatically to the WCL 2025 title match after India’s walkout, shelving one of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures. The decision follows an earlier group-stage boycott by several senior Indian names, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and the Pathan brothers among them, which led to the India–Pakistan league game being cancelled.
India Champions had struggled for form, winning just once in five league outings and collecting a solitary additional point from that abandoned rivalry match. Their only victory came against the West Indies, leaving them with a narrow path that is now closed entirely.
Sponsors, security climate, and the road to Edgbaston
The climate around the semifinal deteriorated further when leading team backer EaseMyTrip withdrew its support, asserting that “terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.” Founder Nishant Pitti amplified the stance on social media, insisting some issues supersede sport.
With political sensitivities intensifying and players publicly unwilling to contest Pakistan so soon after the attacks and India’s subsequent operation “Sindoor,” the Edgbaston fixture, scheduled for July 31, 2025, was pulled. Tournament organizers now face a reshuffle of match-day logistics and broadcast plans as Pakistan prepare for the final without having to play a semifinal.
For fans, the fallout is twofold: disappointment over a marquee showdown lost, and a wider debate about where sport should draw its lines in moments of national grief and heightened security concerns. As WCL 2025 nears its conclusion, officials will be pressed to demonstrate that competitive integrity and player safety can coexist, even when the calendar, the venue, and the world’s biggest rivalry suggest otherwise.
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