Great news for cricket fans! The Champions League T20 is set to return after 12 years. This international franchise T20 tournament, which was discontinued in 2014, has been given the green light at the recent ICC annual meeting.
Sports News: The Champions League T20, or CLT20, tournament is once again the talk of the town among cricket enthusiasts. After nearly 12 years, this tournament is set to restart. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given its approval in the recent annual meeting. It was discontinued after 2014, but now its official re-establishment has been confirmed.
CLT20: The Beginning and History
The Champions League T20 began in 2009. This tournament started a year after the IPL and aimed to bring the top clubs from the world's leading T20 leagues together on one platform. CLT20 was owned by BCCI (India), Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa. Its format was inspired by the UEFA Champions League, where club teams from different countries compete together.
List of CLT20 Winners (2009-2014)
- 2009 – New South Wales Blues (Australia)
- 2010 – Chennai Super Kings (India)
- 2011 – Mumbai Indians (India)
- 2012 – Sydney Sixers (Australia)
- 2013 – Mumbai Indians (India)
- 2014 – Chennai Super Kings (India)
The dominance of IPL teams was evident in these six editions. Indian teams were the winners a total of four times.
What was the CLT20 Format?
The teams participating in CLT20 were selected from the leading T20 leagues of different countries, such as:
- Indian Premier League (IPL) – India
- Big Bash League (BBL) – Australia
- Ram Slam T20 Challenge – South Africa
- Caribbean Premier League (CPL) – West Indies
- Super Smash – New Zealand
- Sri Lanka Premier League
In the 2014 edition, there were a total of 12 teams, out of which 8 received direct entry and the remaining 4 had to play in the qualifying round. 3-4 teams from the IPL usually got direct entry.
Why was CLT20 Discontinued?
CLT20 was officially discontinued in 2015. The main reasons behind this were:
- Decline in TRP – Viewers' interest gradually decreased.
- Financial Losses – The marketing and organization costs of the tournament were high.
- Star Sports Exit – The main broadcaster, Star Sports, decided to withdraw from its broadcast in 2015.
- Too Much Cricket – This tournament was held at the end of the year, when there were already many international and domestic matches.
BCCI, Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa jointly decided to cancel it.
Why Didn't Pakistani Teams Play in CLT20?
Relations between India and Pakistan became strained after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. As a result, Pakistani teams were never invited to CLT20. This decision was taken keeping in mind the security reasons and the sentiments of the Indian audience. England participated in the first three editions (2009, 2010, 2011) but withdrew after 2012.
The reason for this was that the organization of CLT20 clashed with England's domestic season, which caused difficulties for their cricket board in logistics and player availability.
Why is CLT20 Returning?
- The popularity of T20 cricket is at its peak.
- There has been a tremendous increase in broadcasting rights.
- The global cricket economy has become quite b.
- The reach of digital platforms and OTT has made the audience global.
The CLT20 is planned to be re-organized from 2025. The tender for new media rights is likely to be issued by the end of the year. Although the new format has not been announced yet, it is expected that: 12-16 teams will be included in the tournament. The top T20 leagues will get a chance to select 2-3 teams.
There will be a format of qualifying round, group stage, and playoffs. The event may be held on a rotational basis in India, Australia, and South Africa. The re-establishment of the Champions League T20 is big news for global cricket.
