WCL Season 3 Schedule 2026: Fixtures, Dates, Venues
The World Championship of Legends (WCL) Season 3 runs from Saturday 3 October to Sunday 18 October 2026, with every match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. Six teams play 18 matches: 15 league games, two semi-finals on 16 October and the final on 18 October.
Published 12 September 2026 · Updated 11 October 2026 to the fixture list reissued after Pakistan Champions withdrew
Six teams are competing, with Bangladesh Champions playing for the first time and South Africa Champions defending the title. The headline league fixture, India Champions against Pakistan Champions in Dubai on 10 October, was cancelled when Pakistan Champions withdrew from the tournament on 6 October.
WCL Season 3: everything you need to know
WCL is a T20 competition featuring retired international cricketers in national Champions teams. Season 3 was announced with seven sides: India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa and West Indies Champions, plus newcomers Bangladesh Champions. Pakistan Champions withdrew before playing a match, so six teams are contesting the title.
The reissued league stage has 15 round-robin matches, so each of the six teams plays the other five once. It runs from 3 to 14 October and is followed by two semi-finals on 16 October and the final on 18 October. All 18 matches are at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The original list had 24 matches, including six at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 9–11 October; the Dubai leg was dropped when the fixture list was reissued.
Why UAE? WCL leaves the UK for the first time
The first two WCL seasons were played in England. Moving Season 3 to the UAE gives the competition evening-friendly start times for audiences across South Asia while placing it in a region with an established record of staging international cricket.
WCL said Season 2 reached a global audience of 425 million. That figure comes from the tournament’s own announcement and has not been independently audited by this publication. The UAE move shows how the organisers intend to turn that reach into a broader live-event audience.
Six teams, one trophy: the WCL Season 3 field
South Africa Champions arrive as defending champions after AB de Villiers powered their 2025 title run. India Champions, led by the enduring appeal of Yuvraj Singh, won the inaugural edition in 2024. Pakistan Champions, finalists in both previous seasons, withdrew from Season 3 on 6 October after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
David Warner made his WCL debut for Australia Champions on 7 October against Bangladesh Champions, captaining the side; he did not play in their opening match against India Champions. Moeen Ali is among the headline names for England Champions, while Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo bring West Indian power to West Indies Champions.
Bangladesh Champions are new to the competition this season. Former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad and Mohammad Ashraful headline the reported roster, but a tournament squad is not the same as a confirmed playing XI. Match-day lineups will only be known after the toss.
Full WCL Season 3 schedule 2026: fixtures, dates and venues
The standard match windows are 3:30 PM UAE time, which is 5:00 PM IST, and 7:30 PM UAE time, which is 9:00 PM IST. The complete interactive WCL 2026 schedule also converts every start time for Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom and the reader’s local timezone.
The fixture list below is the reissued Season 3 schedule. It updates with live scores and results during each match, and the six cancelled Pakistan Champions fixtures are marked as cancelled.
18 matches · 6 cancelled
Times shown in UAE · UTC+4Saturday03 Oct2026
196/7 (20) — 150 (16.2)
India Champions won by 46 runs
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
Sunday04 Oct2026
242/5 (20) — 145 (18.2)
South Africa Champions won by 97 runs
171/8 (20) — 192/4 (20)
England Champions won by 21 runs
Monday05 Oct2026
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
164/9 (20) — 166/3 (16.1)
England Champions won by 7 wkts
Tuesday06 Oct2026
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
Wednesday07 Oct2026
203/6 (20) — 166/6 (20)
Australia Champions won by 37 runs
154 (19.1) — 156/3 (16.1)
West Indies Champions won by 7 wkts
Friday09 Oct2026
209/5 (20) — 210/2 (15.4)
South Africa Champions won by 8 wkts
218/4 (20) — 221/5 (19.1)
West Indies Champions won by 5 wkts
Saturday10 Oct2026
196/8 (20) — 198/6 (18.5)
South Africa Champions won by 4 wkts
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
Sunday11 Oct2026
119 (16.2) — 83 (18.1)
Australia Champions won by 36 runs
138/8 (20) — 141/9 (20)
Bangladesh Champions won by 3 runs
Monday12 Oct2026
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
Tuesday13 Oct2026
195/7 (20) — 204/5 (20)
South Africa Champions won by 9 runs
110/8 (20) — 111/4 (14.5)
West Indies Champions won by 6 wkts
Wednesday14 Oct2026
Match starts at Oct 14, 11:30 GMT
Cancelled. Pakistan Champions withdrew from WCL 2026 after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players.
Friday16 Oct2026
Sunday18 Oct2026
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India vs Pakistan on 10 October: why the match was cancelled
The 10 October fixture was due to start at 7:30 PM UAE time at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was cancelled when Pakistan Champions withdrew from Season 3 on 6 October, after the Pakistan Cricket Board declined No Objection Certificates for their players. The rivalry already carried unusual uncertainty, because India Champions did not take the field against Pakistan Champions in either of their scheduled meetings during the 2025 tournament.
The first 2025 match was a league fixture at Edgbaston. Indian players withdrew amid heightened India–Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor. The teams were paired again in a semi-final, but India Champions declined to play and Pakistan Champions advanced to the final without a ball being bowled.
India Champions and Pakistan Champions will not meet in Season 3. The India Champions vs Pakistan Champions match page records the original fixture, and our report on the withdrawal explains what changed and why.
India Champions’ WCL 2026 campaign at a glance
India Champions play five league matches, all at Sharjah: Australia Champions on 3 October, England Champions on 4 October, defending champions South Africa Champions on 10 October, Bangladesh Champions on 11 October and West Indies Champions on 13 October.
A semi-final on 16 October and the grand final on 18 October are possible only if India Champions qualify through the points table. The India Champions team guide tracks squad and availability updates.
What to expect from WCL Season 3
Harshit Tomar, Founder and CEO of the World Championship of Legends, described the UAE edition as a meeting point for major rivalries and famous players. In the tournament announcement, he said the organisers want to give supporters memorable cricket and entertainment in WCL’s first season outside Britain.
Ajay Devgn, co-owner of the league, framed WCL as a mix of sporting emotion, nostalgia and entertainment, and called Season 3 its boldest edition. That ambition is being tested across 15 league matches, two semi-finals and the final, all in Sharjah.
The tournament opened in Sharjah on 3 October, when India Champions beat Australia Champions by 46 runs. The evening game that day, Pakistan Champions against debutants Bangladesh Champions, was never played. Live scores, full scorecards and the points table update throughout the season.
Frequently asked questions about WCL Season 3 2026
When does WCL Season 3 start?
WCL Season 3 begins on Saturday, 3 October 2026. India Champions play Australia Champions in the opening match at 3:30 PM UAE time in Sharjah. The evening match, Pakistan Champions against Bangladesh Champions, was not played.
Where is WCL Season 3 being held?
The third World Championship of Legends season will be played in the United Arab Emirates. Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosts all 18 matches, including both semi-finals and the grand final.
When is India Champions vs Pakistan Champions in WCL 2026?
India Champions had been due to face Pakistan Champions on Saturday, 10 October 2026, but the fixture was cancelled when Pakistan Champions withdrew. It had been due to start at 7:30 PM UAE time (9:00 PM IST) in Dubai. The two teams will not meet in Season 3.
Who won WCL Season 2?
South Africa Champions won WCL Season 2 in 2025. They defeated Pakistan Champions by nine wickets in the final at Edgbaston, with AB de Villiers scoring an unbeaten 120 from 60 balls during the successful chase.
Is this the first WCL season outside the UK?
Yes. England hosted the first two editions of the World Championship of Legends in 2024 and 2025. Season 3 is the competition’s first UAE edition and its first tournament staged outside the United Kingdom.
Which new team is joining WCL Season 3?
Bangladesh Champions join the World Championship of Legends for the first time in Season 3. With Pakistan Champions withdrawn, they play five league matches; their scheduled opener against Pakistan Champions on 3 October was not played.
Who is making a WCL debut in Season 3?
David Warner made his World Championship of Legends debut for Australia Champions against Bangladesh Champions on 7 October 2026, as captain. He did not play in Australia’s opening match against India Champions on 3 October.
How many matches are in WCL Season 3?
WCL Season 3 has 18 matches: 15 league fixtures, two semi-finals and the grand final, all at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The original list had 24 matches, including six in Dubai; Pakistan Champions’ six fixtures were cancelled when they withdrew on 6 October.
Sources and editorial note
Dates, start times and venues follow the announced WCL Season 3 fixture list. Tournament background, named headline players, audience figures and organiser comments were cross-checked against the official World Championship of Legends website and its distributed announcement. This independent article will be corrected if the organisers revise a fixture or player status. It was updated on 11 October 2026 to the reissued fixture list; the schedule above is drawn from our Match Centre record, which is checked against Cricbuzz’s WCL 2026 match list.