The cricket boards of Australia, England, and India are pretty keen on the return of the Champions League T20, or CLT20, according to Nick Cummins, CEO of Cricket Victoria. But, since the men’s cricket calendar includes ICC tournaments, bilateral series, and various T20 leagues around the world, the first season of the new CLT20 can be played between women’s cricketers.
“I am constantly in touch with Cricket Australia’s CEO, Nick Hockley, about the return of the Champions League because I think it’s pretty necessary to bring that tournament back. We still haven’t had the chance to figure out which T20 league is the best. The Big Bash, the PSL, or the IPL? The only way we can decide that is by having the Mumbai Indians play against the Melbourne Stars or Karachi Kings,” Cummins said.
“It’s just about trying to find a suitable window for playing the CLT20, because there are ICC tournaments every year as well. There’s a high possibility that the first edition of the new CLT20 will involve female cricketers who play in the WBBL and the WPL,” Nick Cummins added.
The previous edition of the Champions League T20 was conducted in India in 2014, with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings winning the last edition against Kolkata Knight Rider in 2014 in Bengaluru. That particular edition of the CLT20 involved three IPL franchises, two each from South Africa and Australia and one each from the West Indies, Pakistan, and New Zealand.
The CLT20 was conducted on an annual basis between 2009 and 2014, twice in South Africa and four times in India. IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians won the CLT20 twice, and New South Wales and Sydney Sixers lifted the CLT20 trophy once.
Nick Cummins said that BCCI secretary Jay Shah will provide a clear answer in regards to the revival of the Champions League T20.
“There are talks about the revival of the Champions League T20 but it’s probably a question we must ask this question to BCCI secretary Mr Jay Shah. From the perspective of Cricket Australia, we are open to the revival of the league,” Nick Cummins said.
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