After WCL game called off, what does the future hold for India-Pakistan cricket?

The India versus Pakistan game in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) at Edgbaston has been canceled. This happened after several Indian cricketers, like Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, pulled out because of political issues, mainly after the terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. The WCL organizers apologized, saying they caused discomfort by scheduling the game.

This cancellation shows the continuing problems with sports between India and Pakistan and makes people wonder about future games in big international tournaments.

Here’s what to expect for India versus Pakistan games in the upcoming Asia Cup and T20 World Cup:

Asia Cup 2025 (T20 Format)

Still Not Sure: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) hasn’t yet said when and where the 2025 Asia Cup will be. There’s a lot of uncertainty about the tournament, especially the India-Pakistan matches.

Probably a Hybrid Model: If the tournament happens, it will likely use a hybrid model, like the 2023 Asia Cup. This means India would play all its games at a neutral place (probably UAE or Sri Lanka), and Pakistan (if they’re hosting) would host other games at home.

Government Approval Needed: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that any decision to play in the Asia Cup and against Pakistan depends on the government's approval. The recent WCL match cancellation because of political issues makes this even clearer.

India Hosting: India is supposed to host the Asia Cup 2025, but most think it will be held at a neutral place because of the current political situation. The UAE and Sri Lanka are likely choices for neutral hosts.

Format: The 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the T20I format, as practice for the 2026 T20 World Cup. It will have 8 teams, put into two groups, followed by a Super Four stage and a final.

T20 World Cup 2026 (Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka)

Neutral Places for India-Pakistan: India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup, but the BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreed in December 2024 that India and Pakistan games must be at a neutral place. If they play each other in the tournament, those games will probably be in Sri Lanka.

Not in the Same Group? There are reports that India and Pakistan probably won't be in the same group in global tournaments, starting with the 2026 T20 World Cup. This will be talked about at the ICC annual conference. While they probably can't avoid playing in ICC knockouts, not putting them in the same group (which is normal) is possible.

Tournament Format: The 2026 T20 World Cup will have a format like the 2024 edition: 20 teams in four groups of five, with the top two from each group going to a Super Eight stage. Then, the top two teams from each Super Eight group will go to the semi-finals and then the final.

Basically, the WCL game being canceled shows the political issues that keep affecting India-Pakistan cricket. Direct series are still stopped, and any games in tournaments like the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup will almost surely be at neutral places, with the Indian government's approval being key.

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