New Delhi: India Champions are set to face Pakistan Champions in the semi-final match of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 31. Just a few hours after the Men in Blue clinched a brilliant win to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament, Indian sponsor EaseMyTrip pulled out of the match.
The company founder Nishant Pitti wrote a big message on the social media platform X, stating that they applaud Team India’s outstanding performance in the World Championship of Legends, but the upcoming semi-final match against Pakistan is not just another game, as terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.
He further added that they stand with India and cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism. Nishant also said that EaseMyTrip will not be associated with the India vs Pakistan match in WCL, as some things are bigger than sport.
India vs Pakistan – WCL Semi-Final
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…
— Nishant Pitti (@nishantpitti) July 30, 2025
Earlier in the tournament, several Indian players pulled out of the WCL group-stage match against Pakistan. After facing heavy backlash from cricket fans, the organisers decided to cancel the match.
Speaking on the sidelines of the tournament, a reporter asked Dhawan whether he would play against Pakistan in a possible semifinal, and the opener said that he hadn’t played earlier, and he still won’t play.
“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.
India defeated West Indies to reach semifinal
India qualified for the semifinals of the tournament by chasing a 145-run target against the West Indies in their last group-stage match. This was the team’s first victory in this WCL season as they needed to chase down the target in 14.1 overs.
Stuart Binny played a brilliant knock, scoring an unbeaten 50 runs off 21 balls as the Men in Blue chased down the target in just 13.2 overs. Pakistan, South Africa and Australia are the other three teams to qualify for the knockout stage.