Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan will share the dressing room with Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Sohail Tanvir at the inaugural World T20 Continent Cup, scheduled to be held in Hong Kong in December 2026.
The tournament aims to bring established international cricket players together in a T20 format, offering fans an opportunity to see former rivals represent the same team.
Organisers have announced nine matches, including the final, with more than 60 retired international players expected to feature across four teams.
Dhawan, known for his aggressive batting at the top of the order, is among the headline names in the Asia Warriors squad. The former India batter enjoyed a successful international career, particularly in limited-overs cricket, and was part of India’s squad that won the 2013 Champions Trophy and reached the semi-finals of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
He will join Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir in the Asia Warriors dressing room. Tanvir was part of Pakistan’s victorious 2009 ICC T20 World Cup squad and has featured in several franchise competitions worldwide.
The Asia Warriors have announced a 24-member squad featuring players from across the region. Other notable names include Indian spinner Rahul Sharma and Bangladesh veterans Rubel Hossain and Mahmudullah Riyad.
The tournament will bring together former international players from different cricketing nations, with Indian and Pakistani stars set to share the same team rather than compete against each other.
Organisers have yet to announce the complete fixture schedule, with further details expected ahead of the December event in Hong Kong.
Earlier, the highly anticipated clash between Pakistan Champions and India Champions in Season 3 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled after Pakistan Champions confirmed their withdrawal from the tournament.
The Pakistan-India legends’ match was scheduled to take place on October 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, Pakistan Champions decided to pull out of the competition amid reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had not issued No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the participating players.
According to media reports, Pakistan Champions confirmed their withdrawal on October 5. The team’s opening match against Bangladesh Champions, originally scheduled for October 3, had already been postponed. While technical issues were initially cited as the reason for the postponement, subsequent reports linked the delay to the absence of PCB-issued NOCs.
There was also uncertainty over the participation of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who had been named captain of Pakistan Champions. Although Afridi had promoted the tournament on social media, he will no longer feature in the competition.
Pakistan Champions’ scheduled match against Australia Champions on October 5 was also affected by uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation.
