WCL 2026: The World Championship of Legends is ready for another season. This time, the legends will leave England for the UAE. From October 3, former international stars will return to competitive cricket. Season 3 will feature more teams, a new side, and familiar rivalries.

Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle are among the big names returning to the tournament. David Warner will make his WCL debut, while Bangladesh Champions will play in the tournament for the first time. Fans will also get to watch one of the biggest matches, India Champions vs Pakistan Champions, in Dubai.

But WCL 2026 is about more than famous players. Seven teams will play 24 matches at two UAE venues. The tournament will end on October 18. Here is everything you need to know before the tournament starts.

WCL 2026: Tournament at a glance

The official WCL match centre lists 24 matches. Each of the seven teams will play six league games. The top four teams will then reach the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will play the final. You can check for more updates on WCL 2026 on their official website HERE.

WCL 2026 full schedule

WCL 2026 will start on October 3. India Champions will play Australia Champions in Sharjah. On the same day, Pakistan Champions will face Bangladesh Champions.

One of the biggest league games will take place on October 10. India Champions will face Pakistan Champions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

All times are UAE local time. The official WCL match centre currently shows the knockout opponents as TBC because the league stage has not started yet.

For fans in India, the afternoon games will start at 5:00 PM IST, while the evening games will start at 9:00 PM IST.

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WCL 2026 squads: all seven teams

The players remain one of the biggest attractions of WCL. The official WCL Season 3 pages currently list 96 players across seven teams.

India Champions

Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Mohit Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Varun Aaron, Pawan Negi, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Rishi Dhawan and Abhimanyu Mithun.

Pakistan Champions

Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Umer Amin, Asif Afridi, Amir Yamin, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz and Rumman Raees.

South Africa Champions

AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Hardus Viljoen, Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir, Richard Levi, Dane Vilas, Stephen Erwee, Duanne Olivier, Morne van Wyk, Aaron Phangiso, Colin Ingram and JP Duminy.

Australia Champions

Chris Lynn, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, D’Arcy Short, Ben Dunk, Kane Richardson, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson, Fawad Ahmed, Ben Laughlin, Rob Quiney, Nathan Reardon and Andrew Tye.

England Champions

Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Phil Mustard, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, James Anderson, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, Tim Ambrose, Joe Denly and Stuart Meaker. West Indies Champions

Chris Gayle, Chadwick Walton, Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Rayad Emrit, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Nikita Miller and Dave Mohammed.

Bangladesh Champions

Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Imrul Kayes, Rony Talukder, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Ziaur Rahman, Enamul Haque Jr, Jahurul Islam Omi, Shuvagata Hom, Abu Zayed Chowdhury, Fazle Mahmud Rabbi and Mohammad Ashraful.

Bangladesh’s arrival changes the tournament

Bangladesh Champions are the only new team in WCL 2026. The first two seasons had six teams. Season 3 will have seven teams.

This also changes the league stage. In the first two seasons, each team played five league games. This time, every team will play six league matches. Each team will face all the other six teams once.

The top four teams will reach the semi-finals.

Bangladesh also brings several well-known names to the tournament. Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful are among the main players in the squad.

WCL 2026 venues: Sharjah and Dubai

Season 3 will be the first WCL edition to take place in the UAE.

Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host the opening games, most of the league matches, both semi-finals and the final. Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host six league games from October 9 to 11. India Champions vs Pakistan Champions will also take place in Dubai.

The tournament will therefore use two UAE venues. However, Sharjah will host all the major knockout games.

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Who won WCL 2024 and 2025?

The first two WCL seasons had two different winners.

WCL 2024: India Champions won the first WCL title. They beat Pakistan Champions by five wickets in the final at Edgbaston. Ambati Rayudu won the Player of the Match award after scoring 50 runs from 30 balls.

WCL 2025: South Africa Champions won their first WCL title. They beat Pakistan Champions by nine wickets in the final. Pakistan scored 195/5. AB de Villiers then scored an unbeaten 120 from 60 balls as South Africa chased the target in 16.5 overs.

Pakistan have reached the final in both WCL seasons but have not won the title. India and South Africa have one title each.

WCL 2025: top performers to remember

AB de Villiers had a big 2025 season.

He finished as the top run-scorer with 431 runs. He averaged 143.67 and scored three centuries. His unbeaten 123 against Australia was the highest score in the tournament.

Peter Siddle and Wayne Parnell took the most wickets in the tournament. They finished with 11 wickets each. Saeed Ajmal had the best bowling figures with 6/16 against Australia. Rumman Raees had the best economy rate at 5.30.

De Villiers also starred in the final. His unbeaten 120 helped South Africa win the title. He won both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards.

Where will WCL 2026 be broadcast? TV and streaming details

Fans should be careful with the broadcast information for WCL 2026.

As of September 29, 2026, WCL has not released a complete list of Season 3 broadcast rights for every country. However, the official WCL website lists Star Sports, FanCode, Willow, SuperSport, and Kayo among its associated partners.

For Indian fans, there is already some clear information. FanCode has a dedicated WCL 2026 page with all 24 matches and live streaming information.

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What is currently confirmed/available

The 2025 tournament had Star Sports/FanCode in India, Willow in the USA and Canada, TNT Sports in the UK, Fox Sports/Kayo in Australia and SuperSport in South Africa. Pakistan had options such as Tamasha, while the Middle East had e&/STARZ ON.

However, these were 2025 broadcast arrangements. Fans should not treat them as confirmed 2026 rights.

Some online WCL 2026 guides are already using last year’s broadcast list as if it applies to the new season. Fans should instead check the official WCL website and the relevant streaming or TV platform for the latest information.

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What makes WCL 2026 different?

The biggest change is not only the move to the UAE.

WCL is entering its third season with seven teams, 96 listed players and 24 matches. Several famous former international stars are also returning to the tournament.

David Warner is one of the biggest new names. The official WCL website says he will captain Australia Champions in Season 3. Bangladesh Champions are also joining the tournament for the first time.

At the same time, fans will see Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali and Chris Gayle return to the competition.

Then comes October 10.

India Champions and Pakistan Champions will meet in Dubai in a prime-time league match. The game will not decide the WCL title by itself, but it is one of the most important and highly watched matches of the league stage. The two teams have already met in the short history of WCL, including the events around their 2025 campaign.

After two seasons, WCL has built its own records, rivalries, champions, and history. It is no longer only a tournament where retired stars return to the field.

Now, Season 3 brings a new country, a seventh team, and another chance for the legends to create a new chapter in WCL history.

Are you excited for the WCL 2026? Let us know your predictions for the tournament in the comments.

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