New Delhi, July 29 (Inditop.com) Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad will host the first Twenty20 Champions League to be played Oct 8-23.
The venues are home to the three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises — Delhi Daredevils, Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers — who have qualified for the 12-team tournament that will have 23 matches.
Twelve teams will be divided in four groups of three each. Two teams from each group will qualify for the second stage and the top four teams from the second stage will progress to the semi-finals. Ten teams have already been selected for the tournament that will have $6 million as prize money. Two teams from England will be selected after the completion of its domestic Twenty20 competition.
“Despite having to postpone the planned first event late last year, the Governing Council has expanded the tournament from eight to 12 teams for 2009, a sure sign that this event will quickly establish itself as the premier event for domestic cricket.
“The Champions League Twenty20 will be televised live around the globe through ESPN Star Sports and is the perfect tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in domestic Twenty20 cricket,” Lalit Modi, chairman of the Twenty20 Champions League governing council said in a statement.
Teams: Victorian Bushrangers (Australia), New South Wales Blues (Australia), Deccan Chargers (India), Royal Bangalore Challengers (India), Delhi Daredevils (India),
Cape Cobras (South Africa), Diamond Eagles (South Africa), Otago Volts (New Zealand),
Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka).
rounak