In a shocking development, the fourth fixture of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 between India Champions and Pakistan Champions has been called off with immediate effect. The highly anticipated fixture was scheduled to take place this Sunday at Edgbaston. This development comes in the wake of four Indian players, most notably Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and the Pathan brothers, boycotting the upcoming fixture to stand in solidarity with the nation. 

Their withdrawal caused a sense of uncertainty to loom over this high-voltage encounter. Furthermore, it is also believed that several other players were expected to follow suit from the Indian team, further adding to the likelihood of the game being cancelled. Keeping the sentiments and the emotions of the affected fans in mind, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had no option but to terminate this fixture. 

See also: Shikhar Dhawan confirms his unavailability for the forthcoming Ind-Pak WCL clash

ECB issues apology to the Indian fan base

The recent military standoff between two nuclear-armed neighbors in the month of May severely strained the bilateral ties. As tensions refuse to boil down, both sides have now developed bitter feelings towards each other, making cricket impossible to prevail. In an effort to bridge the gap and ease tensions, the ECB placed the two arch-rivals in the same group. After all, having hostilities on a cricket field is far better than having them on a battlefield. 

So was the opinion of the ECB. But they were quickly proven wrong as they soon had to contend with the wrath of the Indian fans who urged the Apex body to terminate the fixture. 

India vs Pakistan called off, going by the release sent by WCL it seems continuing the league without Pakistan team is the best & most feasible option for them. From IND organisers to players, they thought they will go ahead with this & no one will notice but that wasn’t the case pic.twitter.com/UnhKFaN3U4

— Manoj Dimri (@manoj_dimri) July 20, 2025

India hasn't fully recovered from the scars of the Pahalgam terror attacks, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian civilians in late April. Keeping the sentiments and the emotions of the affected fans in mind, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) arrived at the decision to terminate the fixture. For the time being, India and Pakistan avoid each other in the tournament. But it remains to be seen if the situation will remain the same once both teams find themselves battling it out in the knockout phase.