The World Championship of Legends Season 3 brings together seven national sides, each stacked with players who defined eras of international cricket. From inaugural champions India to defending title-holders South Africa and the newly added Bangladesh Champions, this is the most competitive WCL field yet.
Every squad blends retired international stars with active cricketers who still feature in franchise T20 leagues but hold no central national contract. That formula has delivered two seasons of genuine rivalry and Season 3 raises the stakes further.
Below is a full breakdown of every team competing in WCL 2026.
All Participating Teams in WCL Season 3
| # | Team | Captain | WCL Track Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India Champions | Yuvraj Singh | Season 1 Winners (2024) |
| 2 | Pakistan Champions | Mohammad Hafeez | Season 1 Runners-Up, Season 2 Runners-Up |
| 3 | South Africa Champions | AB de Villiers | Season 2 Winners (2025) |
| 4 | Australia Champions | Brett Lee | League stage exits in Season 1 & 2 |
| 5 | England Champions | Eoin Morgan | Season 1 Finalists, mixed Season 2 |
| 6 | West Indies Champions | Chris Gayle | Semi-finalists across both seasons |
| 7 | Bangladesh Champions | TBA | New expansion side for Season 3 |
India Champions – Yuvraj Singh
India Champions are the team that started it all. They won the inaugural WCL title in 2024, beating Pakistan Champions in a thrilling final at Edgbaston under Yuvraj Singh’s captaincy. In Season 2, they retained most of their core and added Shikhar Dhawan to the squad. Their campaign ended in the semi-final stage due to a withdrawal from their fixture against Pakistan Champions following geopolitical tensions.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuvraj Singh | Batting all-rounder | India | Tournament’s most decorated captain. Leads from the front with bat and ball. Match-winner in pressure moments across both seasons. |
| Suresh Raina | Top-order batter | India | One of the most reliable run-scorers in T20 cricket history. Brings consistency and acceleration to the middle overs. His fielding remains sharp. |
| Harbhajan Singh | Off-spinner | India | WCL’s most effective spinner. Took 8 wickets at an average of 15.00 in Season 1, including a 4/25 spell. English conditions suit his drift and turn. |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Opening batter | India | Added for Season 2 following his international retirement. Aggressive in the powerplay and experienced against pace on English pitches. |
| Irfan Pathan | Bowling all-rounder | India | Left-arm swing at the top and useful lower-order hitting. His ability to move the ball in English conditions makes him a genuine threat. |
| Yusuf Pathan | Batting all-rounder | India | Raw power hitter who can clear any ground. Adds off-spin depth to the bowling. A genuine game-changer on his day. |
Season 3 is expected to see the same leadership group return with minor squad tweaks. The core of Yuvraj, Raina, Harbhajan, and the Pathan brothers has been consistent across both editions.
Pakistan Champions – Mohammad Hafeez
Pakistan Champions have been the most consistently competitive side outside of the title winners. They were runners-up in Season 1, dominating the league stage with four wins from five matches before losing to India Champions in the final.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shahid Afridi | Batting all-rounder | Pakistan | “Boom Boom” Afridi remains the most electrifying presence in the WCL. His power-hitting can destroy any bowling attack in minutes, and his leg-spin picks up key wickets. |
| Sharjeel Khan | Opening batter | Pakistan | Scored 76 off 44 balls in the Season 2 final. One of the most destructive openers in the tournament. His fearless approach in the powerplay sets the platform for big totals. |
| Shoaib Malik | Batting all-rounder | Pakistan | Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Season 1 with 245 runs. A calm middle-order presence who anchors innings and rotates strike effectively. |
| Wahab Riaz | Left-arm fast bowler | Pakistan | Express pace and aggression with the new ball. His ability to bowl hostile spells under pressure makes him the spearhead of the pace attack. |
| Kamran Akmal | Wicketkeeper-batter | Pakistan | Quick glovework and an attacking batting style. Provides flexibility in the batting order and adds energy behind the stumps. |
| Sohail Tanvir | Left-arm fast bowler | Pakistan | Unorthodox action, awkward angles, and deceptive slower deliveries. A proven T20 operator who consistently takes wickets in the powerplay and at the death. |
For Season 3, the core of Hafeez, Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, and Kamran Akmal is expected to remain. The challenge is converting their consistency into a title. They have the firepower; they need the finishing touch.
South Africa Champions – AB de Villiers
South Africa Champions are the defending WCL champions. After a solid but unspectacular Season 1, they transformed into the tournament’s dominant force in Season 2 powered by an AB de Villiers who looked like he had never retired.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB de Villiers | Top-order batter / Captain | South Africa | Scored three centuries in Season 2, including 120* in the final. The single most impactful batter in the WCL. Every innings is a potential masterclass. |
| Hashim Amla | Top-order batter | South Africa | One of the classiest batters in cricket history. His ability to build long innings and anchor the top order provides the stability that allows de Villiers to play freely. |
| Imran Tahir | Leg-spinner | South Africa | A proven wicket-taker who combines sharp leg-spin with relentless energy. His celebrations are as famous as his bowling. Consistently breaks partnerships in the middle overs. |
| JP Duminy | Middle-order batter / Off-spinner | South Africa | Scored an unbeaten 50 in the Season 2 final alongside de Villiers. A calm, composed middle-order player who also contributes handy off-spin. |
| Chris Morris | Fast-bowling all-rounder | South Africa | One of the most complete all-rounders in T20 cricket. Express pace, lower-order hitting, and death-bowling skills make him a triple threat. |
| Wayne Parnell | Left-arm fast bowler / Lower-order batter | South Africa | Swings the new ball and contributes with the bat in the lower order. Took 2/32 in the Season 2 final. A genuine all-round option. |
South Africa Champions start Season 3 as slight favourites based on their Season 2 form. De Villiers’ continued commitment to the tournament elevates the entire squad. A top-two league finish and a semi-final berth look highly likely.
Australia Champions – Brett Lee
Australia Champions have been the tournament’s underachievers across the first two seasons. Despite a squad packed with recognisable names, they have not progressed beyond the league stage in either edition.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Lee | Fast bowler / Captain | Australia | Still bowls with genuine pace and hostility. His opening spells can rattle any batting lineup. Also brings unmatched competitive intensity to the field. |
| Shane Watson | Batting all-rounder | Australia | One of the most destructive all-rounders in T20 history. His ability to take on any bowler in the powerplay and contribute medium pace makes him the squad’s most valuable player. |
| Shaun Marsh | Top-order batter | Australia | Elegant left-hander with extensive international experience. Capable of playing long innings and anchoring the chase when the team needs composure. |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | Fast bowler | Australia | Generates sharp bounce and pace. His ability to bowl at the death and contribute handy lower-order runs makes him a genuine utility player. |
| Ben Cutting | Batting all-rounder | Australia | Remembered for his match-winning 29-ball knock in the 2016 IPL final. A powerful lower-order hitter who also bowls useful medium pace. Adds depth. |
| D’Arcy Short | Top-order batter / Leg-spinner | Australia | Versatile left-hander who opens the batting and bowls handy leg-spin. His Big Bash League form makes him one of the most reliable run-scorers in the Australian setup. |
Australia Champions have the squad to reach the semi-finals. Their talent level is comparable to any team outside India and South Africa. The challenge is converting individual brilliance into team consistency.
England Champions – Eoin Morgan
England Champions carry the advantage of playing on home soil. English conditions seaming pitches, overhead cover, and supportive crowds suit their bowling attack and experienced batting lineup. In Season 1, they reached the final before losing to India Champions. Season 2 was more mixed, with the squad undergoing changes that disrupted their rhythm.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eoin Morgan | Middle-order batter / Captain | England | World Cup-winning captain. His tactical brain and composure under pressure elevate the entire squad. Capable of match-winning knocks in the middle overs. |
| Kevin Pietersen | Top-order batter | England | One of the most naturally gifted batters of his generation. His switch-hit and audacious strokeplay made him a global icon. If he features in Season 3, he adds genuine X-factor. |
| Moeen Ali | Batting all-rounder | England | Aggressive batting anywhere in the order and sharp off-spin. A genuine match-winner who can impact the game with both bat and ball in any phase. |
| Alastair Cook | Top-order batter | England | England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer. While T20 is not his primary format, his technique and temperament against pace provides a solid platform. |
| Liam Plunkett | Fast bowler | England | Hits the deck hard and generates bounce. His back-of-a-length bowling in the middle overs is effective on English pitches with variable bounce. |
| Samit Patel | Batting all-rounder | England | Left-arm spin and powerful middle-order batting. A genuine two-in-one option who adds depth to both departments. Underrated but consistently effective. |
England Champions are capable of a semi-final run, especially with home-ground familiarity. Their ceiling depends on whether their star names produce consistent performances. If Morgan, Pietersen, and Moeen fire together, England can trouble any opposition.
West Indies Champions – Chris Gayle
West Indies Champions are the entertainment package of the WCL. Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Dwayne Bravo together make up possibly the most recognisable T20 trio in cricket history. Their franchise pedigree across the IPL, CPL, and Big Bash is unmatched, and they bring a style of cricket that is impossible to ignore.
Key Players to Watch
| Player | Role | Country | Why to Watch |
| Chris Gayle | Opening batter / Captain | West Indies | The most prolific six-hitter in T20 history. When Gayle fires, no total is safe and no bowling attack is spared. His presence alone shifts the momentum of a match. |
| Kieron Pollard | Middle-order batter / Medium pacer | West Indies | One of the cleanest hitters of a cricket ball anywhere. His ability to clear the boundary at will in the death overs and contribute with medium pace makes him a genuine match-winner. |
| Dwayne Bravo | All-rounder | West Indies | The most decorated T20 bowler in history with 631 wickets across 582 matches. His slower balls, cutters, and death-bowling precision are unmatched. Also a useful lower-order batter. |
| Lendl Simmons | Top-order batter | West Indies | A steady accumulator who provides the anchor that allows Gayle to play freely. His Caribbean Premier League form translates well to English conditions. |
| Sheldon Cottrell | Left-arm fast bowler | West Indies | Express pace and trademark salute celebration. His ability to swing the ball with the new ball and bowl yorkers at the death adds variety to the pace attack. |
| Fidel Edwards | Fast bowler | West Indies | Still generates sharp pace and bounce despite his age. His slingy action is difficult for batters to pick, especially in English conditions where the ball can seam. |
West Indies Champions have more T20 franchise experience than any other squad. Gayle, Pollard, and Bravo have won multiple IPL, CPL, and Big Bash League titles between them. Their power-hitting is unmatched no other team can clear the boundary as consistently or as far.
Bangladesh Champions
Bangladesh Champions are the newest addition to the World Championship of Legends, joining the tournament as the Season 3 expansion side. Their inclusion adds a seventh team to the competition and brings a passionate fanbase into the WCL fold.
Bangladesh have a strong pool of recently retired and franchise-active players to draw from. Names that could feature include experienced campaigners from Bangladesh’s most successful era in international cricket, along with players who remain active in the Bangladesh Premier League and other global franchise leagues.
Conclusion
WCL Season 3 brings together seven elite championship squads, making it the most competitive edition of the World Championship of Legends so far. With India Champions, Pakistan Champions, and South Africa Champions leading the title race, and strong support from Australia, England, West Indies, and debutants Bangladesh, the tournament promises high-intensity T20 action from start to finish.
As WCL 2026 heads into the league stage and knockout battle, every match will play a crucial role in shaping the semi-final lineup. With legendary players returning to English conditions and rivalries reignited, fans can expect a thrilling contest for the ultimate crown in WCL Season 3.