According to India Today, most members of the Indian team are not in favour of playing the high-voltage encounter. This mirrors the stand taken earlier in the tournament when India forfeited their group-stage match against Pakistan in protest following Operation Sindoor. At that time, several former Indian cricketers, including prominent names, advocated for a boycott.
India was scheduled to face Pakistan in the semi-final on July 31 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. However, a new development has added fuel to the controversy — EaseMyTrip, one of the sponsors of the Indian team, has withdrawn its support from the semi-final, citing national sentiment.
In a public post on X, EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti made his position clear: “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. 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. Jai Hind.”
Earlier in the competition, India had opted out of their group match against Pakistan, with several top players withdrawing from the game. Notably, Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh were among those who led the initial boycott. Dhawan had even shared an email sent to WCL authorities, confirming that he would not participate in any match involving Pakistan due to the current geopolitical climate.
On July 27, during India’s group game against England, Dhawan was asked by a fan whether he would take part in a potential semi-final against Pakistan. Annoyed by the query, he responded firmly:”Brother, you’re asking this question at the wrong place right now. If you’re asking that, do you think I’m going to answer? You shouldn’t be asking this question. And if I haven’t played earlier, then I still won’t play,” Dhawan said in a cold voice.
