Champions League T20 set for possible return with ongoing discussions between BCCI, ECB & CA
The Champions League T20 (CL T20) could see a revival almost after a decade with the Australian, Indian, and English cricket boards actively involved in discussions regarding the same.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins confirmed this development while stating the biggest challenge would be to find a scheduling window for the tournament amid the packed calendar.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, Cummins was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying:
"I think the Champions League was ahead of its time. The T20 landscape wasn't mature enough at that point. I think it is now. I know that there's active conversations between Cricket Australia, the ECB, and the BCCI about the Champions League. It's just trying to find a window as to when you actually play that, because you've also got all the ICC tournaments as well. It may be that the first iteration of the Champions League will be of the women… [it may involve cricketers playing in] the WPL, the Hundred and the WBBL."
The competition was last played in 2014 with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders in the grand finale in Bengaluru.
Involving the best teams from the biggest leagues across the globe, the 2014 edition had three teams from India, two each from Australia and South Africa, and one each from Pakistan, the West Indies, and New Zealand.
"We still haven't made out which league is the best. IPL, PSL or the Big Bash?" - Nick Cummins
Nick Cummins feels the CLT20 would be the ultimate decider in the world's best T20 league between the IPL, BBL, PSL, and CPL, among others.
There were six editions of the tournament played yearly from 2009 to 2014, with CSK and MI winning twice and New South Wales Blues and Sydney Sixers emerging victorious once.
"We still haven't made out which league is the best. IPL, PSL or the Big Bash? The only way we can show that is by having Melbourne Stars play Karachi Kings or Mumbai Indians. Champions League is well overdue... The idea of Mumbai Indians playing Melbourne Stars at the MCG would be just as exciting as India playing Australia at the MCG," said Cummins via the aforementioned source.
He also feels that with Indian players not playing in other leagues and the Pakistan players not playing in the IPL, the CLT20 would be the showcase for all the world's best playing against each other.
"The reality is there is no T20 competition in the world which has the best players in the world playing in it. Champions League would actually provide that. No other competition has Indian players. The IPL doesn't have Pakistan players. So there is no competition in the world with the best players. The Champions League would be a way for the best to be playing against each other," concluded Cummins.
CSK, MI, and Trinidad & Tobago qualified for the CLT20 in five of the six editions, the most among franchises worldwide.
Suresh Raina is the all-time leading run-scorer in CLT20 history with 973 runs, while Lasith Malinga has the most wickets in the competition with 69 scalps.