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News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Will Dhawan Play If India Face Pakistan In WCL Semis? Star Batter Makes Big Statement
Last Updated: Shikhar Dhawan won't play against Pakistan in the Legends World Championship semifinals because of the Pahalgam attack and strained India-Pakistan relations. Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has said that a question regarding India playing Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends is wrongly timed and if he didn't play the league stage game and boycotted it, he would do the same if the two teams faced off in the semifinals. The India Champions were all set to take on the Pakistan Champions in a much-anticipated showdown at Edgbaston on Sunday, July 20. It was a rematch of last season's final as well, where India emerged victorious to claim the inaugural World Championship of Legends title. Eventually, it was called off after massive backlash on social media against the Indian team, three months after the Pahalgam attack. A week after that incident, Dhawan was asked whether he would feature against Pakistan in a possible semifinal. As things stand, India might not face Pakistan in the knockouts unless they win both of their remaining games, against England and the Windies. India are at the bottom of the table, having suffered two defeats in their first three games and still searching for their first victory of the season. Pakistan sit in second place after bagging three successive wins. After a terror attack in Pahalgam in April that claimed 26 lives, India launched a military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in both Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Since then, the relationship between India and Pakistan has soured to unimaginable levels. Dhawan revealed that he had informed the World Championship of Legends organisers of his decision back in May. 'This is to formally reiterate that Mr Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This discussion was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025," Dhawan shared a screenshot of his statement. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Rauf Slams India-PAK For WCL Boycott: 'Saath Shopping, Par Public Ke Saamne...'
Last Updated: Ex-cricketer Abdur Rauf criticized Indian and Pakistani veterans for canceling the 2025 Legends World Championship, accusing them of public division but private mingling. Former Pakistan international Abdur Rauf has made a scathing attack on veterans from India and Pakistan whose decisions led to the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match, scheduled for Sunday, getting called off. He alleged that the players from the two teams roam, mingle, and even go shopping together, but portray a different image of division and pride in front of the public. India and Pakistan were scheduled to play the game on Sunday evening. However, after backlash from players like Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, and Yuvraj Singh, who were strongly pro-India and anti-Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attacks, they started to withdraw from the game one by one. WCL eventually announced canceling the game, saying they assumed normalcy and unknowingly hurt the sentiments of those involved. 'Public ke saamne yeh dikhate ho ki hum nahi khelenge, aur saath mein ghumoge and shopping karoge, yeh unfair hai [You show the public that you won't play each other, but behind the scenes you travel together and go shopping — that's unfair]," Rauf said, as quoted by The Times of India. 'They hang around together, eat together, party together — then when it comes to playing a match, why do they portray a different picture in front of the public?" Rauf asked. 'It's not just Pakistani players — even Indian players feel it. We've played together, shared dressing rooms, eaten together, gone shopping on tours, stayed in each other's hotel rooms — we're friends off the field. To then portray such a hard divide to the public — like 'we won't play them' — that creates unnecessary hype," he added. 'Behind the scenes, the reality is very different. The fans, who come with so much excitement and emotion, are left disappointed. It's not a good look for cricket. We owe better to the game and its fans," Rauf said. WCL is a private league, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan. It doesn't come under the BCCI's ambit. But while the board bars Pakistani players from IPL and is against bilateral cricket with the neighbor, it's also under pressure regarding the Asia Cup and ICC World Cup matches between the countries later this year. view comments First Published: July 20, 2025, 17:39 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
