India Champions withdraws from semi final vs Pakistan Champions, WCL confirms

New Delhi: The semifinal between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship League (WCL) has been cancelled after the Indian side officially withdrew, according to WCL.

In a statement shared on X, WCL stated, "At WCL, we have always believed in the power of sport to inspire and bring about positive change in the world. However, public sentiment must always be respected -- after all, everything we do is for our audience."

The statement further read, "We respect the India Champions' decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions' readiness to compete. Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off. As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final."

This is the second cancelled fixture between the two sides during the tournament. Their league game was also called off.

Pakistan will now face the winner of the second semifinal between South Africa Champions and Australia Champions, set to face off in the final today at Edgbaston, Birmingham.