Yuvraj Singh's India faces a must-win situation in their World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Australia at Headingley, Leeds. After a cancelled match against Pakistan due to social media outrage and key players pulling out, followed by a crushing defeat against South Africa Champions, India Champions are currently at the bottom of the points table.
Australia Champions, on the other hand, are in good form, having secured a convincing victory over the West Indies Champions, propelled by Chris Lynn's impressive batting and Ben Dunk's quick contributions. Australia currently holds the second spot in the standings.
The India vs Australia WCL 2025 match is scheduled to start at 5 PM IST on Saturday, July 26, at Headingley, Leeds. The toss took place at 4:30 PM IST, with Australia winning and electing to bowl first.
India Champions Head-to-Head record shows that both teams are evenly matched, with one win each in their previous encounters. In their last five matches, Australia Champions have won three, while India Champions have won two. In WCL 2024, Australia won the league match by 23 runs, and India won the semi-final by 86 runs.
For India to stay in contention for a playoffs spot, a win against Australia is crucial. Anything less than a win will force the Men in Blue to win their final two games to progress to the knockouts. India will play against England on Sunday.
The cancellation of India's match against Pakistan occurred after Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina withdrew from the contest in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In their previous match against South Africa, India Champions suffered an 88-run defeat via the DLS method. South Africa posted a formidable 208/6 in their 20 overs, while India were reduced to 111/9 in 18.2 overs when the match was called early due to floodlight issues. AB de Villiers's stunning 63 off 30 balls earned him the Player of the Match award.
Australia's first match against England was cut short due to rain, resulting in no result. However, they bounced back with an eight-wicket win against the West Indies, chasing down a 143-run target in just 9.3 overs.
The squads for both teams are as follows:
According to reports, Headingley's pitch is expected to favor new-ball bowlers, so opening batters will need to be cautious of the swing on offer. Batting is expected to become easier as the ball gets older. Wickets during the powerplay will be crucial for both teams.
