New Delhi: The World Championship of Legends, a global T20 tournament featuring retired international cricketers and non-contracted stars, is set for a bigger Season 3 in October this year. Seven teams will compete in this edition.
India Champions, Pakistan Champions, England Champions, Australia Champions, South Africa Champions, West Indies Champions, and Bangladesh Champions will battle in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) Season 3, promising high-voltage clashes and nostalgia as cricket legends return to the field in an expanded edition.
The tournament, which has quickly become one of the most talked-about retired-cricketers’ leagues in the world, is also set to collaborate with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in what organisers are calling a move to blend “sports, wellness and global unity.”
Launched in 2024, the ECB-backed tournament brought together retired stars from cricket’s six biggest nations at first, allowing fans to relive some of the sport’s greatest rivalries. What made WCL stand out from other legends’ leagues was its international format, with former stars representing their countries again rather than franchise-based teams.
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Time machine for cricket lovers
India Champions lifted the trophy in the inaugural season in 2024 after defeating Pakistan Champions in a high-voltage final that reignited nostalgia among fans across generations. The second season further expanded the tournament’s popularity, with packed crowds, viral social media moments and strong digital engagement helping WCL establish itself as more than just an exhibition league.
While iconic players like Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan pull massive crowds for the India Champions, their support is mostly national. In contrast, AB de Villiers, famously nicknamed “Mr 360”, enjoys unanimous affection from Indian, Pakistani, British and Australian fans alike. Whenever he stepped onto the field, entire stadiums united to cheer for him.
Fans have particularly embraced the emotional aspect of the competition, watching icons of the 2000s and early 2010s sharing the field once again. Social media reactions during previous seasons were filled with nostalgia-driven responses, with many fans calling the tournament a “time machine for cricket lovers.”
The addition of a seventh team—Bangladesh Champions—for Season 3 signals the organisers’ ambition to expand the tournament’s global footprint. With nostalgia, star power and expanding reach, WCL Season 3 is already building buzz months before the first ball is bowled.
Bhavya Priya is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism, currently interning at ThePrint.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)