Former India batter Suresh Raina has taken a cheeky dig at Pakistan Champions after their defeat in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 final against South Africa Champions at Edgbaston on Saturday.
AB de Villiers hammered an unbeaten century to help South Africa Champions decimate Pakistan Champions by nine wickets and seal the WCL 2025 title.
Chasing a stiff target of 196, the Proteas romped home with 19 balls to spare, thanks largely to a brutal 120* off just 60 balls from AB de Villiers.
Raina, who represented India Champions in WCL 2025, shared a cryptic message on the social media platform X.
“What a knock by AB de Villiers, absolutely smashed it,” he wrote.
“Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else,” he added.
Suresh Raina also praised sponsors for pulling out of the final featuring the Pakistan Champions.
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It is pertinent to mention that India Champions refused to play the group stage fixture and semi-final against Pakistan Champions, citing strained political tensions.
The WCL owner, Harshit Tomar, later revealed in an interview that the India Champions were united in boycotting the league stage clash against Pakistan.
However, he hinted that the team wanted to defeat Pakistan as a gift to their country.
“Everyone has their own way of showing patriotism — perhaps a sportsman shows it by stepping onto the field and winning,” he said.
“Somewhere along the way, we failed to understand the emotions of our country’s people,” he remarked.
