Former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was visibly upset after being asked about the possibility of playing against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), calling the question poorly timed. In a video which has surfaced online, Dhawan was questioned about whether he would consider taking the field against Pakistan if the two sides were to meet in the semifinals.
The question did not sit well with the left-handed opener, who made his stance crystal clear. He said,“You’re asking this question at the wrong time and place; you shouldn’t have asked it. And even if I didn’t play earlier, I still won’t play now,”
Will India face Pakistan in WCL semis?
India's chances of meeting Pakistan in the knockouts remain slim, with the team languishing at the bottom of the table. They’ve lost two of their first three games and are still hunting for their maiden win this season.
To have any hope of qualification, India must beat both England and the West Indies in their remaining group-stage games. Pakistan, on the other hand, have been in dominant form, securing three wins on the trot and sitting comfortably in second place
Why did India not play Pakistan in league stage of WCL?
The India Champions were initially scheduled to face the Pakistan Champions in a high-voltage encounter at Edgbaston on Sunday, July 20. It was set to be a rematch of last season’s final, where India triumphed to clinch the inaugural WCL title. However, the match was eventually called off following intense backlash on social media against the Indian team, coming just three months after the tragic attack in Pahalgam.
Dhawan, along with several other senior Indian players including Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan, withdrew from the match in protest.
The WCL organisers later issued an apology, acknowledging that scheduling the India-Pakistan tie so soon after the Pahalgam incident had unintentionally caused distress.
“After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL, just to create some happy memories for people around the globe.
"But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," the WCL said in an official statement.
