India and Pakistan are again going to lock horns in another high-intensity match because the two teams have been pitted against each other in the semi-finals of the World Championship of Legends (WCL). Though an India-Pakistan game is normally a headline attraction to cricket fans, this is a highly controversial game, as there is still a lot of political tension between India and Pakistan.
India had turned down the chance to play Pakistan in the league stage of the tournament earlier on due to the national sentiment in the country, which followed the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. The tension created by such an attack was a big setback to military and diplomatic relations between the two nations, and India withdrew from the battle with Pakistan in the first part of the competition. Now that the knockout stage has been decided, the controversy about whether the India team would play with Pakistan once again comes into fire.
In this confusion, the whole situation was further worsened when one of the biggest sponsors of the tournament, EaseMyTrip, said that it would be pulling out of the semi-final game that was set to take place. Nishant Pitti, the co-founder of the travel platform, made a public statement that the company would want to keep its distance regarding the high-risk association. This action has also brought out the political sensitivities of the match.
The organisers of the WCL are yet to come up with an official communication on the fate of the semi-final, and this is leaving the fans and the players hanging. To increase the drama, former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, who is included in the WCL once more, stated that he would not be taking any part in the match in case India played Pakistan. Dhawan was visibly angry over the inquiry and responded, saying, “I did not play and I am not going to play,” when asked about the game.
India qualified for the semi-final as the fourth team in the six-team league, and they were able to beat the West Indies Champions in their final match. Pakistan, however, remained the group stage leaders and is the favorite in the knockout.
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