The India Champions have reportedly opted out of their semi-final match against the Pakistan Champions in the present World Championship of Legends tournament. The move will be consistent with their past attitude, which resulted in the team boycotting their group-stage encounter against Pakistan earlier this tournament. Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, and Suresh Raina were among the notable players who opposed to facing the opposition on Sunday, July 20.
According to NDTV Sports, this decision follows a social media outcry against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). For the uninitiated, the BCCI has come under fire following the announcement of the Asia Cup schedule, which would pit India against Pakistan on September 14. The two sides are likely to face off again, this time in the Super 4s on September 21. A third match could be played if India and Pakistan qualify for the final, which is set for September 28.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have deteriorated following the recent Pahalgam terror attacks and India’s reaction, Operation Sindoor. Earlier reports suggested that the Asia Cup will be postponed or cancelled. However, the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) has confirmed the competition.
Earlier on Wednesday, EaseMyTrip, one of the WCL’s primary sponsors, withdrew out of the knockout match, according to its long-standing policy of not participating in any event featuring Pakistan.
“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. @EaseMyTrip, we stand with India. We cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism,” co-founder of the travel-tech company Nishant Pitti expressed in an official statement.
India Champions advanced to the semi-finals after a thrilling five-wicket victory with 40 deliveries to spare. Stuart Binny’s scorching unbeaten 21-ball 50 propelled the Yuvraj Singh-led team to the 145-run goal in 13.2 overs. They were intended to hunt down the mark in 14.4 overs to beat England Champions and qualify for the semi-finals.
