Shahid Afridi is once again in the news for the wrong reasons. This time it is before the big Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan in Dubai this Sunday. The former Pakistan captain had earlier made provocative comments during the Pahalgam terror attack in India and during Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to that attack.

Now, as some people call for a boycott of Sunday’s game, the 48-year-old has brought up the World Championship of Legends held in the United Kingdom recently. Afridi criticized the Indian players who had joined that event but refused to play against Pakistani players.

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Afridi on Cricket and Boycott Calls

“I have always said cricket should continue. It always helps improve relations between the two countries,” Afridi told Samaa TV. “In England, people bought tickets to see the WCL match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions. The players had also practised. Then you did not play. What was the thinking? I cannot understand,” he added.

Afridi also claimed that some players are “trying to prove they are Indian” amid calls for boycotting the latest clash between the two rivals. “There are many issues in India. Sometimes people threaten players at their homes. Still, some players keep trying to prove they are Indian. They have been doing this since birth. Now they are also doing commentary in the Asia Cup,” he said.

Afridi Rekindles ‘Bad Egg’ Remark

Afridi had earlier called one Indian Champions player a “bad egg,” believed to be Shikhar Dhawan, after India boycotted both matches against Pakistan in the second WCL season, including the semi-final. In his latest comments, Afridi repeated that jibe.

“If I name the player, his life will become hard. The player I called a bad egg, even his captain told him, ‘If you don’t want to play, then don’t play. But don’t tweet on social media.’ The player came with another motive, that is why I called him a bad egg,” Afridi said.

Meanwhile, despite the BCCI and Government of India approving the Asia Cup match, ticket sales for the India-Pakistan clash have been slow. The Asian Cricket Council has cut ticket prices to attract more fans to their main venue.

The World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 has once again generated a high level of globally focused cricket fanfare, further affirming its stature as the second highest pooping cricket league in the globe. The tournament was viewed by an astonishing 409 million patrons all over the world, a proof of a 20% increase from last season, at least as indicated by an announcement detailing their press release by the organizers of the tournament. The expanded popularity of the tournament is remarkable considering it fell short of a long-anticipated India-Pakistan throwdown.

However, the absence of the traditional rivalry only intensified the chatter surrounding the tournament on social media. Fans had terrific debates on Instagram, YouTube, and X discussing professional players who performed well and memorable moments. An unforgettable moment was the return of AB de Villiers - his performance rekindled nostalgic memories of cricketing glory days and kept audiences captivated.

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WCL 2025 Final Draws Global Attention

Based on engagement information, the final game between the Pakistan Champions and South Africa Champions was of global proportions. And having been aired in the UK on Sony Max, it had record viewership and was reportedly one of the most-watched events in the UK. Additionally, the final had a TRP in Pakistan of 6.1, overtaking a number of live bilateral series currently. The conversation also echoed across India as fans discussed the heroics from AB de Villiers, as well as having the tournament trend on multiple social platforms in the country.

The WCL's growing global scope, along with its unique format and legendary players, has transcended tournaments to become a celebration of that cricket journey with audiences and fans. By blending nostalgia and great cricket action, the World Championship of Legends has continued to distinguish itself from others, providing an opportunity for cricket fans of all ages to appreciate great cricket. With record viewing numbers and a growing fan base, the WCL 2025 has cemented its place in the cricket calendar as a must-view event.

The dreams of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans to witness AB de Villiers in RCB colors one last time have been dashed yet again, despite his brilliant performances in the World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL). The South African icon looked as sharp and elegant as always and led the South Africa Champions to the title with his typical flair and calmness. His resurgence sparked excitement among fans, who hoped for a fairytale return to the IPL.

Following the WCL final, when Shubhankar Mishra asked AB whether he would consider coming out of retirement to play one last IPL season for RCB, the Proteas great ended all speculation. In his usual composed and humble manner, de Villiers explained that while he remains fit and active, the demands of the IPL are simply too intense. He pointed out the Indian Premier League's three-month duration, stressing that it's not just about being in shape—it's about being mentally and physically ready to handle the pressure day in and day out.

“I'll be too nervous, man. I think I'd rather just support; I'm a very good supporter. Yeah, the IPL is just a very long tournament. It's almost a three-month tournament. It is a really big commitment for someone at the age of 41. You can't compare me to Imran Tahir. I work a lot harder. I had a lot more hard work. I think throughout the years,” de Villiers said, making it clear that a comeback would require more than just desire—it would demand full-scale commitment and intense preparation.

“We’re all different”—AB reflects on comparisons, retirement, and moving on

Addressing comparisons with other veteran cricketers like Imran Tahir, who at 46 continues to play in T20 leagues worldwide, AB responded with respect and perspective. “I mean, that's crazy. I'll take my hat to them. That's absolutely amazing. And I mean, you've got to look up to that. But we're all different, and I think that is the beautiful part of the sport—some guys feel they've had enough after the age of 30. Some are only at 40. It depends,” he explained, emphasizing that every athlete’s journey is unique and personal.

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As he signed off, de Villiers looked back at his career with pride and gratitude. “So, I'm just, first of all, thankful that I could actually have a very lengthy career from the age of 20 right through to whenever I retired. I don't even know how long it was. It felt quite long. But I gave it my best shot, and I'm happy.” His words echoed the sentiments of fans who watched him light up the IPL for over a decade, especially for RCB, where he scored 4178 of his 5162 IPL runs, including 3 centuries and 40 fifties. Although not making a return to the field, AB de Villiers will always be a firm icon in the RCB legacy.

South African legend AB de Villiers gave a humorous yet heartfelt response when asked about potentially reversing his retirement during the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. Amid growing fan excitement, especially after his scintillating form in the tournament, De Villiers dismissed the idea of returning to professional cricket by cheekily avoiding comparisons with MS Dhoni, who is still playing IPL at 44.

De Villiers was a key figure in South Africa Champions’ WCL 2025 triumph. He made 429 runs in six matches, scoring three centuries, and made an unforgettable unbeaten 120 in the final to lead his team to the title. His explosive return to the field led to inevitable questions about a possible IPL comeback with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the franchise he starred for from 2011 to 2021.

Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, De Villiers said, "I'll be too nervous. I think I'll rather just support. I'm a very good supporter. The IPL is just very long, and it is a three-month tournament. It's a really big commitment for someone at the age of 41. You can't compare me to Dhoni. I work a lot harder. I had a lot more hard work through the years. I'm just kidding. I'll take my hat to them. But we're all different. It depends. I gave it my best shot, and I'm happy."

RCB fans show love during WCL as De Villiers recalls special moment

De Villiers, a fan favorite during his time at RCB, also reflected on the global support the franchise enjoys. He was pleasantly surprised to see RCB fans show up in the United Kingdom during the WCL, with familiar chants echoing across the Northampton venue.

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"Everyone loves RCB. We had a ground called Northampton County Cricket Club, and as I arrived, there were a lot of RCB fans. I immediately picked up the chants. It was very cool to hear that again. Obviously, RCB are the current champions of the IPL, finally, for the first time, I am very happy to say that," he said. De Villiers was also present at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the IPL 2025 final, where RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs. In a heartwarming gesture, Virat Kohli invited both De Villiers and Chris Gayle to lift the trophy—making it a perfect end to RCB’s 18-year wait for their maiden IPL title.

Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers named his all-time IPL XI during a recent podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, where he included two Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captains—Virat Kohli and Daniel Vettori—alongside himself in the lineup. The revelation came amid the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, where De Villiers played a starring role for the title-winning South Africa Champions.

De Villiers picked an XI stacked with IPL greats across eras. He said: "Rohit Sharma, Matthew Hayden, Virat Kohli at three, Suryakumar Yadav, myself at five, at six let's go Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni seven, Bumrah at eight, Yuzi Chahal nine, Lasith Malinga ten, I'll just throw a little spin in the works, Daniel Vettori at eleven."
With Kohli batting at No. 3 and Vettori listed as the second spinner, the XI reflected both De Villiers' deep IPL experience and his respect for former RCB teammates and rivals.

Daniel Vettori was the skipper of RCB from 2011 to 2012. He won 15 out of 28 games and took the franchise to the 2011 IPL final. Virat Kohli took over as captain from 2013 to 2023 and also piloted the team in the 2016 final. De Villiers, who started with RCB in 2011, was the main man in the team’s batting line-up till 2021, scoring 4522 runs in 157 matches at an average of 41.10, including two hundreds and 37 fifties. 

De Villiers ignites WCL 2025 with game-changing ton

On top of being an all-time XI pick, De Villiers made headlines with his very good performance in the WCL 2025. The last match against the Pakistan Champions, he hit 120 unbeaten off only 60 balls while chasing 195. The innings of his, being 12 fours and 7 sixes, gave South Africa Champions the win in only 16.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. 

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De Villiers finished the competition as the top run-getter, scoring 429 runs in six games at an astonishing average of 143. His WCL stint saw him scoring three centuries and one half-century, confirming that the ex-IPL star has the fire that made him the most feared batsman in world cricket.

South Africa Champions became the title winners of World Champions League 2025 by beating the Pakistan Champions in the final. They won the game by nine wickets to claim their maiden title and it was AB de Villiers who took charge and led from the front to see his team over the line. And the team’s dressing room celebration post winning the trophy is going viral.

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Pakistan Champions won the toss and opted to bat first. On the back of Sharjeel Khan’s 76 runs knock, they managed to put 195 runs on the board losing five wickets in the process. For South Africa Champions, Hardus Viljoen and Wayne Parnell dazzled with two wickets each.

We Indians just love AB de Villiers 🥺pic.twitter.com/tvcmIU1BMa

— was zoxxy (@PrimeKohli) August 3, 2025

South Africa chase target inside 17 overs

When South Africa came out to bat, what looked liked a daunting total was reduced to a walk in the park, thanks to De Villiers. The veteran scored unbeaten 120 runs off just 60 deliveries while opening the innings. He smashed 12 boundaries and seven maximums.

De Villiers batter with a strike rate of 200 and Pakistan could take only one wicket in the form of Hashim Amla, who scored 18 runs opening alongside Mr.360. South Africa Champions chased the target in just 16.5 overs and claimed their maiden WCL title.

South Africa Champions simply demolished Pakistan Champions in the final of WCL 2025, which concluded on Sunday with South Africa as the winner. After the match, the former India international took a dig at the Pakistan Champions team through his social media post.

The comments made by Raina showcased his confidence in India and the commitment to representing the nation beyond the cricket ground. Raina was confident that India Champions too could have brutally defeated Pakistan. 

"What a knock by AB de Villiers in the final; he absolutely smashed it. Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else," Suresh Raina said this on his social media post. 

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Here's what Suresh Raina wrote:

What a knock by @ABdeVilliers17 in the final, absolutely smashed it

Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else.

Full respect to @EaseMyTrip and @nishantpitti for standing firm and not supporting any match involving them. That’s…

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) August 2, 2025

The champions of India and Pakistan were scheduled to collide in the semifinal of the WCL 2025. But the team in blue chose to boycott the match. Thus, as per the rules of the tournament, Pakistan advanced to the final by default and faced South Africa in the title decider. AB de Villiers, who was honored with the man of the series and man of the match awards, single-handedly took the final match away from Pakistan. An unbeaten 120 off 60 from Villiers was enough to thrash Pakistan, supported by JP Jean-Paul Duminy's unbeaten 50. 

Pakistan, batting first, posted a formidable score of 195/5 in their 20 overs; Sharjeel Khan put in an exceptional performance by scoring 76 runs in 44 deliveries. But this total proved not enough to restrict the South African champions from lifting the WCL 2025 trophy. 

South Africa Champions turned up with an all-round performance to beat Pakistan Champions by 9 wickets in the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 which was contested at Edgbaston, Birmingham. AB de Villiers' explosive unbeaten century helped South Africa to a comfortable win with 19 balls remaining while they were chasing a challenging target of 196.

Pakistan Champions Innings

After choosing to bat first, the Pakistan Champions scored a very competitive total of 195/5 in 20 overs. Sharjeel Khan belted 9 fours and 4 sixes to go with his 76 off 44 balls. Sharjeel laid the foundation for a big total before falling to Wayne Parnell, who finished with 2/32 in his four overs. Middle-order batters Umar Amin (36 off 19) and Asif Ali (28 off 15) provided the finishing blow with a flurry in the last five overs with a partnership of 61 runs. Hardus Viljoen (2/38) and Duanne Olivier (1/38) also struck at crucial moments to contain the damage.

South Africa Champions Innings

In reply, the South Africa Champions were simply sensational. AB de Villiers was the aggressive, clean striker, reaching 120 in 60 balls just with strokes that were breathtaking. He was complemented by Jean-Paul Duminy, who scored 50 runs off just 28 balls, and Hashim Amla gave 18 runs off 14 balls. The three of them completed the chase target in 16.5 overs, finishing at 197/1. Saeed Ajmal took the only wicket, but he was not able to stop the run flow as the Pakistani bowlers failed to restrict the attacks.

With this emphatic win, the South Africa Champions claimed the WCL 2025 title in style. AB de Villiers' match-winning century will go down as one of the game-changing innings in tournament finals history, sealing South Africa's dominance in the tournament.

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Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions: Scorecard

Pakistan Champions – 195/5 (20 Overs)

South Africa Champions – 197/1 (16.5 Overs)

This match isn't only about teams; it's about individual contests that could change the game in one over. Pakistan's aggressive batters will go up against South Africa's savvy bowlers, and their respective experienced leaders will look to outsmart one another in moments of pressure. Each of these player matchups may ultimately dictate the course and outcome of the contest.

Match Details – WCL 2025

• Match: Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions
• Date: Aug 02, 2025
• Time: 09:00 PM IST 
• Venue: Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, England
• Tournament: World Championship of Legends 2025 – Finals.

Players battle to Watch Out For

• Sharjeel Khan vs. Wayne Parnell—The dynamic Pakistani opener against SA's swing maestro, setting up an epic powerplay battle.
• Mohammad Hafeez vs Imran Tahir—a classic matchup of off-spin vs leg-spin between two cunning veterans.
• Shoaib Malik vs. JP Duminy—a really interesting clash of two calm middle-order anchors and both part-time spinners.
• Wahab Riaz vs. AB de Villiers— Raw pace against batters who hit in 360 degrees is always going to be a special battle to watch.
• Sohail Tanvir vs. Hashim Amla—An interesting tactical battle between a swing bowler and a technically solid top-order batter. 

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PNC vs SAC Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Champions Probable Playing XIs

South Africa Champions Probable Playing XIs

Hashim Amla, Morne van Wyk (wk), AB de Villiers (c), JJ Smuts, Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Jacques Rudolph, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Duanne Olivier/ Imran Tahir, Aaron Phangiso

This match isn't only about teams; it's about individual contests that could change the game in one over. Pakistan's aggressive batters will go up against South Africa's savvy bowlers, and their respective experienced leaders will look to outsmart one another in moments of pressure. Each of these player matchups may ultimately dictate the course and outcome of the contest.

Match Details – WCL 2025

• Match: Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions
• Date: Aug 02, 2025
• Time: 09:00 PM IST 
• Venue: Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, England
• Tournament: World Championship of Legends 2025 – Finals.

Players battle to Watch Out For

Pakistan Champions:

• Mohammad Hafeez (c)—A seasoned leader who will be all-important with both bat and ball in the middle overs.
• Sharjeel Khan—An attacking opener who can take the game away from you in the first 6 overs.
• Shoaib Malik—a calming presence and stability at the top of the order with bat and valuable part-time spin
• Wahab Riaz—A fiery fast bowler that can easily win a game with his pace and bounce.
• Imad Wasim—Will bring control in the powerplay with his bowling and be able to score vital runs at the end.

Australia Champions

• Shaun Marsh—A stylish left-handed top-order batsman for his consistency and experience.
  
• Chris Lynn—a wrecker T20 batsman capable of hitting any boundary without worrying.
  
• Ben Cutting—a multi-talented all-rounder handy at late-overs batting and change-of-pace bowling.
  
• Brett Lee (c)—The express pace bowler who remains dangerous with bounce and yorkers.
  
• Nathan Coulter-Nile—Famous for tight lines and ability to hit with both bat and ball.

See Also: [Watch] ENG vs IND 5th: Akash Deep hoisted Jacob Bethell for a splendid boundary

PNC vs SAC Probable Playing XIs:

Pakistan Champions Probable Playing XIs

South Africa Champions Probable Playing XIs

Hashim Amla, Morne van Wyk (wk), AB de Villiers (c), JJ Smuts, Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Jacques Rudolph, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Duanne Olivier/ Imran Tahir, Aaron Phangiso