Ten leading players competing in World Championship of Legends 2026
Ravi Bopara, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and several other notable cricketers are taking part in the third edition of the World Championship of Legends, which began on October 3 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and has its final scheduled for October 18. Pakistan Champions withdrew from the event after the PCB declined the NOC, leaving six of seven teams in action.
The tournament is being played entirely at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and follows the previous edition, which was won by South Africa Champions over Pakistan Champions in the final. Organisers scheduled the final for October 18 after the event commenced on October 3. Several high-profile players listed for WCL 2026 have already produced significant performances in early matches.
Ravi Bopara is captaining England Champions and has been central to their start, with England recording two consecutive wins. Bopara scored 83 off 46 against India Champions and an unbeaten 77 off 45 against Bangladesh Champions. He received the Man of the Match award in both of those games.
Imran Tahir, described in the coverage as one of the best leg-spinners and among the oldest players competing, returned figures of 3/24 in the first game against West Indies Champions. Those figures were reported as a match-winning spell in that fixture. Coverage notes he remains active and competitive in the tournament.
Ambati Rayudu, who announced his retirement from the IPL and the Indian domestic circuit in May 2023, has appeared for India Champions and scored 4 and 47 in his two matches so far. Jason Roy is listed among the participants who have not retired from international cricket; the report notes he was dropped from England ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup and continues to play in various franchise leagues.
Harbhajan Singh is included among India’s squad and is recorded as having been part of India’s T20 World Cup 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup campaigns; the coverage states he retired with 711 wickets. Harbhajan played in the first game without batting or bowling and led India in their second game against England Champions, which India lost. Yusuf Pathan is noted for his power-hitting and produced 37 off 20 in the first game against Australia Champions.
Dwayne Bravo is listed among the top players in WCL 2026, with the report emphasising his contributions with both bat and ball and his record in T20 cricket and the IPL. In the opening India v Australia match, India scored 196/7 and won by 46 runs; Yuvraj Singh was declared Man of the Match after an innings of 71 off 44 with five fours and six sixes. Chris Gayle struck 60 off 31 with five sixes in his first game.
AB de Villiers, described as 42 years old in the coverage, is among the names to watch after leading South Africa Champions to last season’s title. He began this edition with a match-winning 70 off 39 against West Indies Champions.
The World Championship of Legends runs through October 18 with all matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the final set for October 18; with Pakistan Champions withdrawn after the PCB declined the NOC, six teams remain in contention for the trophy.