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DUBAI: The World Championship of Legends is gearing up for its second season as Team India Champions, once again led by Yuvraj Singh, look to retain their title.

Co-owned by Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn and Harshit Tomar, the WCL has six established cricketing nations in India, Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies.

Team India Champions, owned by UK-based Sports Merchants Ltd., and led by Salman Ahmed, Jaspal Bahra and Sumant Bahl, have bolstered their squad ahead of the new season.

Shikhar Dhawan has joined a team with plenty of experience in the shape of veterans Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Robin Uthappa.

The squad includes Yusuf Pathan, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Gurkeerat Mann, Siddharth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar, Varun Aaron, Piyush Chawla, and Pawan Negi.

The season starts on July 18, with India’s first game on July 20, and will be played across four venues in the UK: Edgbaston in Birmingham, Headingly in Leeds, Northampton, and Leicester County grounds.

The tournament will be broadcast on Star Sports in India and TNT sports in the UK.

The title-winning captain Singh said this week: “It’s been amazing to see how WCL has grown into something that truly connects with cricket fans around the world.

“I’m really excited to be back on the field, playing the game I love, and sharing it with some of the biggest legends. Team India Champions is more than just a squad, it’s a legacy.”

He added that the WCL was “a grand celebration that brings legendary players together, rekindling the magic of the game and to remind everyone why they fell in love with cricket in the first place.

“With the talent and heart this team has, we’re definitely aiming to bring the trophy home again.”

Meanwhile co-owner Ahmed said the team stands for “legacy, leadership, and pride.”

“Having legends like Yuvraj Singh lead the side brings not just experience but also immense inspiration for the entire team,” he added.

“We’re not just defending a title, we’re raising the bar for what this team stands for.”

LONDON: Jasprit Bumrah is a weapon India must use sparingly but with the five-test series against England on the line, the tourists are considering playing their pace spearhead in the fourth test in Manchester next week.

The team management has decided that Bumrah, whose workload has been carefully managed since he returned from a back surgery earlier this year, will play three of the five tests in England.

A victory in Manchester would give England an unassailable 3-1 lead. To prevent that, India are considering playing Bumrah, who skipped the second test in Birmingham, in the next match rather than preserving him for the final test at the Oval.

“We know we have got him for one of the last two tests,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate told reporters after a training session on Thursday.

“It’s pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning toward playing him.”

“But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with the Oval.”

Arguably the best all-format bowler of his era, Bumrah registered five-wicket hauls in both the tests he played on this tour of England, though India lost both in Leeds and Lord’s.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who suffered a finger injury at Lord’s, did not bat in Thursday’s practice.

Ten Doeschate was confident Pant will reprise his usual roles in front of the stumps with the bat and behind them with the keeper’s gloves in Manchester.

“Look, I don’t think you’re going to keep Rishabh out of the test no matter what,” former Dutch international ten Doeschate said.

“He batted with quite a lot of pain in the third test and it’s only going to get easier and easier on his finger.”