The Champions League T20, more commonly known as CLT20, could potentially return. The tournament was created in 2007, after the Indian Premier League‘s (IPL) inaugural edition turned out to be a massive success. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) came together to form the multi-nation franchise event, trying to emulate football’s Champions League.
CLT20’s format & how it became defunct
Teams, franchise and domestic, from India, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies and South Africa participated. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Sydney Sixers and New South Wales Blues won the six CLT20 titles between them.
It worked well for the first three years (2009, 2010 and 2011), but then the viewers’ interest dipped. The sponsorship didn’t bear the fruit that was expected, and ultimately, after 6 editions in 2014, the CLT20 was scrapped. What everyone understood was that it was a unique product, despite it not working.
IPL Chairman teases franchise league competition’s return
For some time, there have been talks about reviving the tournament. The Big 3 (India, Australia and England) seemingly expressed interest last year in bringing the CLT20 back.
“I think the Champions League was ahead of its time. The T20 landscape wasn’t mature enough at that point. I think it is (mature) now. I know that there are active conversations between CA, ECB and the BCCI about reviving the Champions League. It’s just about trying to find a window to play the tournament because you’ve also got all the ICC tournaments as well,” Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins had said last year.
And current IPL Chairman and former BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal hasn’t ruled the possibility out. “It was done before the opportune time for that kind of event. I would not say no to anything but everything depends on whether we have an availability of time… If it creates value for cricket at a global stage, definitely we can look at that,” Dhumal told ESPNcricinfo.
What would the ‘new’ CLT20 look like?
In the last 11 years, franchise cricket has evolved. Every nation has its own league. There are even sub-leagues in many countries. If CLT20 comes into existence again, we can see teams from the IPL, Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (IPL), The Hundred, SA20, Major League Cricket (MLC), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Lanka Premier League (LPL). Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and ILT20. But this may not be it. Teams from domestic competitions like the Super Smash (New Zealand) or the T20 Blast (England) might feature as well.
Window issues
The biggest would be finding a window to play the tournament. September 13 to October 4 was the schedule the last time CLT20 was played. And that might work right now as well. CPL ends in mid-September, and then there is a window where no big franchise leagues are played.
However, there is an issue. One can’t neglect international cricket. Australia, England and India are extremely serious about Test cricket in particular, and if even one of their series coincides, CLT20 can’t be played.
One player, multiple franchises
Another big issue that arose previously was selection. Players like Rashid Khan feature in every big league. So, which team would he play for? Suppose MI qualifies, will they let Trent Boult play for Birmingham Phoenix (The Hundred)? This will be tough to navigate as well.
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