Pakistan advance to WCL 2025 final after India pull out of semi-final

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Pakistan Champions advanced to the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 final after India Champions pulled out of the semi-final against the archrivals on Wednesday.The development was confirmed by the official Facebook account of the WCL, which said that the match has been called off due to the India Champions’ refusal to play the semi-final.“At WCL, we have always believed in the power of sport to inspire and bring about positive change in the world,” the league said in a statement.It continued, “However, public sentiment must always be respected -after all, everything we do is for our audience.”The organisers lauded the Pakistan Champions for their readiness to compete in the WCL 2025 finals.“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,” the statement read.Uncertainty surrounded the game after India pulled out of the group-stage game against Pakistan earlier this month.Read more: India boycott WCL semi-final clash with Pakistan: reportsWhile both teams were awarded a point each, Pakistan topped the standings after winning all of their remaining four games.India, after defeating the West Indies, qualified for the semi-final of the tournament.However, the side has refused to partake in the game amid strained relations between the two countries.Relations between the neighbouring countries took a major hit in May this year when India attacked Pakistan after alleging the country’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack without providing any evidence.Pakistan denied its citizens’ involvement in the incident and downed multiple Indian fighter jets in retaliation.