The India Champions squad, featuring legends such as Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, and others, have refused to play against the Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) semifinal in Birmingham. Sources confirm the decision follows their earlier boycott of the group-stage match due to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, which significantly strained Indo-Pak diplomatic relations. 

Several retired icons had publicly stated they would not take the field, thus prompting the tournament organizers to cancel the scheduled match previously. This time, the team has formally withdrawn from the semi-final, which is set for Thursday - leading to a potential walkover for Pakistan Champions.

The boycott is not limited to players. Major sponsor EaseMyTrip also withdrew support for the semi-final match, stating "terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand" and affirming its solidarity with national sentiment. 

The standoff is emblematic of the larger politics-sport intersection, raising questions about the future of cross-border cricket and the BCCI’s stance ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 fixtures.