Shikhar Dhawan also confirmed on Saturday night through a statement on his social media that he would not participate in the match.
The clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), scheduled to take place at Edgbaston on Sunday, was cancelled after several former Indian players decided to withdraw from the match.
This happened because of public backlash and rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Earlier, former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan pulled out of the match after facing strong criticism online. According to multiple reports, their decision was influenced by the strained political relations between India and Pakistan, particularly after the Pahalgam terror attack in April this year.
Shikhar Dhawan also confirmed on Saturday night through a statement on his social media that he would not participate in the match, citing the same reason. He added that this decision had already been communicated during a call and WhatsApp conversation on 11th May 2025.
“This is to formally reiterate and confirm that Mr. Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This decision was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025,” the statement read in a post shared on Shikhar Dhawan’s official X handle.
“In view of the current geopolitical situation and the prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan, Mr. Dhawan and his team have taken this position after due consideration. We respectfully request the league’s understanding and cooperation on this matter,” the statement added.
The Indian squad for WCL 2025 also includes Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, and Vinay Kumar, along with several other retired cricketers.
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The WCL organisers issued an apology for causing discomfort to members of the Indian Legends team. In their official statement following the cancellation, they said their intention was to provide fans with good, happy moments and explained that the decision to schedule the fixture was influenced by recent India vs Pakistan encounters in other sports, including a volleyball match and a few others.
“We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments. 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 statement read.
“More than that, we unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have brought so much glory to the country, and we ended up affecting the brands who supported us purely out of love for the game. Hence, we have decided to call off the India-Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting the sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans,” the statement further added.
India and Pakistan had last faced each other in the final of the inaugural World Championship of Legends at Edgbaston, where India secured a five wicket win.
While their clash has been cancelled this time, both teams will continue their campaigns in the tournament as per the schedule. India Champions will next face South Africa Champions on July 22 in Northampton. Pakistan Champions, who defeated England Champions by five runs in their opening match, will play their second game on July 25 in Leicester.
After the South Africa Champions match, India Champions are scheduled to play against Australia Champions on July 26, England Champions on July 27, and West Indies Champions on July 29.
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