WCL – World Championship of Legends 2026

The World Championship of Legends (WCL) returns for its third season from 3 to 18 October 2026, hosted by the United Arab Emirates. England hosted the previous two editions. Seven teams of retired international stars will play a total of 24 T20 matches at Sharjah Cricket Ground.

This year’s edition carries genuine political weight: India Champions and Pakistan Champions are scheduled to actually take the field against each other, a year after India boycotted both meetings between the sides.

Tournament Overview

India Champions did not play either of their scheduled 2025 fixtures against Pakistan Champions, with several Indian players unwilling to face Pakistan following heightened tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

The scheduled semi-final between the two sides was abandoned without a ball bowled, and Pakistan Champions advanced to the final by default. For 2026, the two sides are set to meet in what’s being billed as the tournament’s marquee clash, in Dubai on 10 October.

India Champions won the inaugural 2024 edition, beating Pakistan Champions by five wickets in a rain-affected final in Birmingham. South Africa Champions, powered by AB de Villiers, won the 2025 title, again beating Pakistan Champions in the final — meaning Pakistan Champions enter 2026 as two-time runners-up still chasing their first WCL title. South Africa Champions arrive in the UAE as the tournament’s reigning, defending champions.

Bangladesh Champions join the competition for the first time in 2026, expanding the field from six teams to seven, and will make their tournament debut against Pakistan Champions on the opening day. Australia Champions also arrive with a notably different look this season, now captained by David Warner and reportedly co-owned by Ricky Ponting.

World Championship of Legends 2026 Schedule

Here are the complete fixture details of the World Championship of Legends 2026:

Squads

India Champions: Yuvraj Singh (c), Robin Uthappa, Naman Ojha (wk), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Rahul Shukla, RP Singh, Vinay Kumar, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Saurabh Tiwary, Anureet Singh, Rahul Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Pawan Negi.

Pakistan Champions: Shahid Afridi (c), Sohaib Maqsood, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Sharjeel Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Tanvir Ahmed.

Australia Champions: David Warner (c), Chris Lynn, Usman Khawaja, D Arcy Short, Nathan Reardon, Rob Quiney, Ben Dunk, Ben Hilfenhaus, Kane Richardson, Fawad Ahmed, James Pattinson, Ben Laughlin, Andrew Tye

England Champions: Jason Roy, Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara, Joe Denly, Samit Patel, Phil Mustard, Tim Ambrose, Ajmal Shahzad, Liam Plunkett, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, Stuart Meaker, Sir James Anderson

South Africa Champions: Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Sarel Erwee, Albie Morkel, Jean-Paul Duminy, AB de Villiers, Dane Vilas, Morne van Wyk, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Imran Tahir, Duanne Olivier, Aaron Phangiso

West Indies Champions: Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Shivarine Chanderpaul, Dave Mohammed, Dwayne Bravo, Carlos Barthwaite, Andre Russell, Rayad Emrit, Chadwick Walton, Andre Fletcher, Fidel Edwards, Sheldon Cottrell, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller

Bangladesh Champions: Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes, Jahurul Islam, Mohammad Ashraful, Rony Talukdar, Nasir Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Ziaur Rahman, Fazle Mahmud, Kamrul Islam, Arafat Sunny, Enamul Haque Jnr.

WCL 2026 Live Streaming & TV Channels

The following television networks and digital OTT platforms provide live streams of the WCL 2026 in different countries and territories.

India: Star Sports Network, Fancode App

Pakistan: ASports HD, Tamasha App

USA & Canada: Willow TV

United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket

UAE: StarzPlay, Etisalat Criclife

Bangladesh: Tapmad, Toffee App

Sri Lanka: Dialog TV

Australia: Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo Sports

Caribbean: Rush Sports

Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport, SuperSport App

MENA: Cricbuzz App

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