A picture featuring Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn and former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi has taken social media by storm amid the controversy surrounding the cancelled India versus Pakistan clash in the World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL 2025). Indians slammed Ajay for meeting Afridi, who has often passed disrespectful comments on the Indian army.
The match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions was supposed to be played on Sunday in Birmingham but it got cancelled. Former Indian players like Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan refused to take the field after they were criticised online for playing against Pakistani players. The online backlash was based on the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
The organisers shared a statement saying their aim was to bring back happy memories with this tournament. They respected the players’ stand and proceeded with the cancellation. The rest of the tournament is still going on as scheduled.
Viral Photo of Ajay Devgn & Shahid Afridi Isn’t from WCL 2025 - Here’s the Truth!
The picture of Ajay Devgn with Afridi is not recent. The image being widely circulated is from the 2024 edition of the World Championship of Legends. Ajay had attended the final last year, where India Champions defeated Pakistan Champions at Edgbaston to lift the trophy. It was during that game that Ajay met Afridi along with several other Pakistani cricketers.
As one of the co-owners of the tournament, Ajay’s presence at WCL 2024 was well-documented. Several photos from that event, including the now viral one, had made rounds at the time.
Unfortunately, the old picture resurfacing amid a sensitive moment has led to misplaced outrage with social media users mistakenly assuming it was taken during this year's edition.
What Happens If India & Pakistan Qualify for WCL 2025 Final? PAK Champions Owner Answers
Questions are now being raised about what lies ahead if the two teams qualify for the semifinals or final. Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan addressed these concerns, confirming that the rest of the WCL 2025 will go ahead as planned.
On a possible India versus Pakistan clash in the knockouts, he said that the organisers will avoid it and place them in different draws in the semis.
"All the remaining matches are taking place. The tournament is going on as per schedule, and there are no changes. As for the semifinals and final, we're currently saying that if we make it to the semifinals, there will be four teams, and we will avoid matches between the two teams," Khan said as quoted by Geo News.
Also read: Uncertainty Over Asia Cup 2025 Could Deal PCB a Multi-Million Dollar Blow
