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South Africa Champions emerged as the WCL 2025 winners after dishing out a brutal hammering to Pakistan Champions in Birmingham. Fans erupted in praise for AB de Villiers’ scintillating century. Former India star Suresh Raina joined the buzz with a cryptic tweet that quickly became the talk of the town.
Suresh Raina’s social media post after WCL final sparks buzz
In a strongly worded post following the WCL 2025 final, Raina praised de Villiers for his explosive century that led South Africa to a dominant title win. However, Raina also took the moment to reiterate his and India Champions’ stance of not participating in any match involving Pakistan, citing ethical reasons. He emphasized that the decision to pull out was driven by a commitment to the nation, applauding EaseMyTrip and its CEO Nishant Pitti for backing the boycott. The tweet underlines Raina’s belief in prioritizing patriotism over sporting engagements.
“What a knock by @ABdeVilliers17 in the final, absolutely smashed it Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else. Full respect to @EaseMyTrip and @nishantpitti for standing firm and not supporting any match involving them. That’s real character,” Raina wrote on X.
Here’s the tweet:
What a knock by @ABdeVilliers17 in the final, absolutely smashed it
Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else.
Full respect to @EaseMyTrip and @nishantpitti for standing firm and not supporting any match involving them. That’s…
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) August 2, 2025
Also WATCH: AB de Villiers hits second century in WCL 2025 as South Africa Champions crush Australia Champions
Indian team’s boycott of Pakistan twice in WCL 2025
India Champions refused to play Pakistan Champions twice in WCL 2025, first in the group stage and then in Semi-final 1 — triggering massive controversy. Senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Raina, and Harbhajan Singh had earlier withdrawn from the tournament altogether. The move came in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in April this year, which claimed several innocent lives. Tensions peaked when the entire Indian team pulled out before the semi-final, allowing Pakistan direct passage to the final. Meanwhile, key sponsor EaseMyTrip also withdrew, stating firmly: “Blood and cricket cannot go together” — a sentiment that resonated widely.
