India Withdraw From World Championship of Legends; Forfeit Semifinal Vs Pakistan
India will not play Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends semifinals,meaning the latter qualify for the final.
India have withdrawn from the World Championship of Legends after refusing to play against Pakistan in the semifinals on Thursday. With India pulling out, Pakistan directly qualify for the final.
India cited the nation's stand against any bilateral sporting ties with the neighbouring country after the gruesome Pahalagam terror attack.
The Indian team, which includes legends like Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina, among others, had already expressed their unwillingness to play against Pakistan following the terror attack and the subsequent 'Operation Sindoor' launched by India.
India took a similar stance in the group-stage match against Pakistan earlier in the tournament. In that game, several top former Indian cricketers had refused to play against Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
'We applaud Team India @India_Champions for their outstanding performance in the World Championship of Legends, you've made the nation proud. However, the upcoming semi-final against Pakistan is not just another game. Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand," the travel-tech company's co-founder Nishant Pitti wrote on his 'X' handle.
'@EaseMyTrip, we stand with India. We cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism. The people of India have spoken, and we hear them. EaseMyTrip will not be associated with the India vs Pakistan match in WCL. Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first, business later. Always," he added.
India Champions advanced to the semifinals of the ongoing World Championship of Legends after defeating West Indies Champions in just 13.2 overs in their last group match on Tuesday.
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