New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday welcomed the World Championship of Legends (WCL)'s decision to call off the India-Pakistan match, calling it a victory for the nation's collective sentiment in the wake of recent terror-related incidents.

https://x.com/priyankac19/status/1946757429582331955

In a post on social media platform X, Chaturvedi wrote, 'Collective voice of the nation can move mountains. A big thank you to all those who took up a firm stance and stood against any India-Pak cricket ties, especially post Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, and supported my call to cancel the match. It has happened. WCL has dropped the India-Pakistan match. Jai Hind.'

Earlier today, WCL confirmed the cancellation of the high-profile fixture and issued an apology for hurting public sentiments and the sentiments of Indian cricket legends.

In a statement, the tournament organisers said the India-Pakistan match was initially proposed following a recent volleyball encounter between the two nations, with the intention of creating 'happy memories for fans.' However, the tournament states that this may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and causing discomfort to the Indian legends.

In the wake of this, a decision was made to call off the fixture. WCL further apologised for hurting sentiments.

The development comes amid rising public and player opposition following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Several former cricketers, including Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, had already informed the media that they would not participate in the match against Pakistan. Sources also indicate that some other players in the Indian lineup have taken a similar stance.

In a post on X, Dhawan shared an email written to the tournament organisers, where he stated that the decision not to play Pakistan had been communicated to the organisers on May 11. The email mentioned that the decision not to play Pakistan was made in consideration of the current geopolitical situation.

In his post, Dhawan said, '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. (I stand by the decision I took on May 11. My country is everything for me and nothing is bigger than the country).' (ANI)