Shikhar Dhawan officially joins a new team after retirement

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan will feature for Team India Champions in the upcoming edition of World Championship of Legends. Dhawan's availability will boost the Indian team for the upcoming season, which will be the second edition of the tournament.

The World Championship of Legends is a tournament featuring retired legendary players from all the countries. The first edition of the tournament was played in 2024 and it received a huge amount of success.

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Shikhar Dhawan to play for Team India Champions in WCL 2025

Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 24, 2024, through social media. The left-hander has since featured in various tournaments like Legends League Cricket and Nepal Premier League.

The co-owner of Team India Champions, Sumant Bahl, was excited to share the news with the fans and claimed that Dhawan's inclusion will make his team even stronger. Bahl also stated that his team will add a few more names to the Indian squad for this season.

“Shikhar Dhawan adds a lot of flair and strength to our team as we are focused on defending our title as the winners of WCL season 1. We will be retaining some of the greats from last year and adding some new players to make our team stronger and better," Bahl was quoted as saying by News 18.

The Founder and CEO of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), Harshit Tomar, is also pleased with the addition of Shikhar Dhawan to this tournament and hopes to add more fans this season. He aims the WCL to bring back the old days of cricket and spread the tournament globally.

“With the participation of Shikhar Dhawan coming to play for WCL second edition we are instilled with the faith that our event will mean more for ardent cricket fans," Tomar stated.

"We are certain that we are moving in the direction of the league’s goal which has primarily been to bring back the golden era of cricket. Our focus primarily would be to get the global participation right in the coming days for making the second edition unforgettable," he added.

Shikhar Dhawan excited to play in WCL 2025

Shikhar Dhawan is also excited to play in the tournament and wants to play it with all his passion. He aims to enjoy the tournament with some of the legends of the game and wants to enjoy it.

“When we have such formats like World Championship of Legends the inspiration to get back on the field fares well. It would be a continuation of my passion for playing the best competitive cricket," Dhawan stated.

The previous edition of WCL featured some legendary players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan from India. Teams like Pakistan, Australia, and other participating nations also featured some of the greatest players.

Team India the winners of WCL 2024

India Legends emerged as the champions of the first edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) played in 2024. Team India defeated Pakistan Legends by 5 wickets in a thrilling final to clinch the title.

The Yuvraj Singh-led side didn't start the tournament well and just about made it to the semi-finals with 2 wins and 3 defeats. However, they raised their game when it mattered the most and thumped Australia and Pakistan in the semi-final and the final respectively.