Shikhar Dhawan has opened up about his stance to not play against the Pakistan Legends team in the World Championship of Legends a few months back. The tournament saw the Indian Champions team forfeit both their games against Pakistan, including in the semi-finals. Pakistan, which had players like Shahid Afridi in their ranks, had gone to the final where it had lost to South Africa Legends.
The World Championship of Legends tournament was being played on the heels of the Pahalgam terror attacks where 26 Indian civilians were murdered. This had resulted in the Indian government carrying out Operation Sindoor.
On a recent podcast appearance, Dhawan was asked about the decision to not play against Pakistan.
“I had already told the organisers two months before the event that I wouldn’t play against Pakistan. Because for me, I feel that whatever happened—the terror attacks, Operation Sindoor and the war—was still very raw and my soul wasn’t ready to play. So I didn’t play. And that time, I already told them that I didn’t want to play. And even when I went there, I didn’t feel right to play against Pakistan at that moment. And that time, there was a little bit of internal sadness because of how things happened, the way our Indians, our Hindu brothers, were attacked—that was very wrong. So, that hurt remained. That’s why I respected that hurt and I went with that,” Dhawan said on an appearance on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast. “It’s very unfortunate that these things happen in this era. See, someone’s family, their whole family was destroyed. Poor people, they had just gone for a trip. The family was destroyed. It’s a very sad thing.”
While the India Champions team forfeited the games, the Indian team played three games against Pakistan at the recent Asia Cup, where the Men in Blue won all three games.
Asked what he thought about India playing Pakistan at the Asia Cup, Dhawan said: “If the government says we should play Pakistan in the Asia Cup, then we should play.”
After the two forfeits at the World Championship of Legends, Dhawan had gotten into a war of words with Shahid Afridi, with the former Pakistan cricketer firing a salvo about the Indian army. To this Dhawan had snapped back with social media comments about the Kargil War.
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WATCH: Shikhar Dhawan interview
Dhawan was also asked about the atmosphere when India played against Pakistan in a cricket game, back when he was playing in the Indian team.
“The atmosphere is different. The whole environment changes. Both sets of fans come with full intensity. Everything is driven by the environment. The atmosphere builds up. The India-Pakistan atmosphere starts building up two-three days in advance. All the Indian fans will come, the Pakistani fans will come. They’ll gather below the hotel. Drums are playing, they’re dancing, they’re singing, and when you step out for the match, all the fans are there, Indian and Pakistani both, and they are shouting. There is a noise during the match. So, it’s a different, very electrifying energy environment. A different, different atmosphere.
“As a player, the goal is always to perform well. We have to do well against them, we have to win against Pakistan, and it’s essential to make our country win… It’s fun to beat them. That was fun. Like when I scored a century in the Asia Cup, I told everyone there that I would tell my grandparents that I beat Pakistan. It’s a different level of competition and a different energy all together.”