Shikhar Dhawan Threatens Legal Action Over Unauthorised Name Use in World T20 Continent Cup

Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan has issued a stern legal warning after his name was allegedly used without consent in an unauthorised tournament called the 'World T20 Continent Cup'. The episode is not merely a name-image-likeness dispute; it exposes the governance gaps, brand mimicry, and commercial exploitation that surround fringe cricket events. Dhawan, one of India's most prolific ODI openers with 6,793 runs in 167 matches at an average of 44.1, including 17 centuries, made it clear that he has no association with the event and has instructed his team to take appropriate legal steps. His public disavowal is a brand-protection move aimed at preventing fan and sponsor confusion. The tournament borrows the linguistic architecture of ICC global events, raising serious consumer-confusion and pass-off concerns. The article analyses the incident across governance, commercial, risk, and narrative dimensions, concluding that the core issue is consent and event legitimacy rather than any on-field performance. It highlights the structural gap in NIL enforcement for retired players, the practical difficulty of regulatory action against unsanctioned private events, and the potential integrity risks if such events are betting-adjacent. The overall risk is assessed as medium, dominated by reputational and governance concerns rather than competitive impact.