NEW DELHI: It’s official. The Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions have refused to play against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semifinals of the World Championship of Legends. India had previously boycotted their group-stage match against Pakistan earlier in the tournament. The Indian team — featuring legends like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, and Yusuf Pathan — took this stand in response to the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of many innocent civilians.
“We are not playing against Pakistan (in semis). Our country and nation will always be at the top for us, and then anything. India ke liye kuch bhi. We are proud members of the Indian team. We have struggled and worked hard to put the Indian flag on our shirts, and we earned it. We will never let our country down, no matter what. Bharat Mata ki jai,” an insider told TimesofIndia.com on condition of anonymity.India had already taken a similar stand earlier in the tournament when they opted out of playing Pakistan in the group stage.The semifinal between India and Pakistan is scheduled for Thursday at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. However, the Indian cricketers once again came together and boycotted the Mohammad Hafeez-led side.India Champions qualified for the semifinals after defeating West Indies Champions in just 13.2 overs in their final group-stage game on Tuesday.“Even if we had entered the final and faced Pakistan, we all would have done the same. We all Indians are on the same page,” the insider added.Earlier, former India opener Shikhar Dhawan was the first to withdraw from the match against Pakistan.Dhawan issued a statement on social media explaining his decision to boycott all matches against Pakistan, citing the Pahalgam terror attack that took place in April this year.“Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota,” Dhawan said in his statement.
