T20 Champions League set to return after ICC green light, first match could be in September 2026: Report
The first edition of the T20 Champions League was held in 2008 and continued until 2014, when ESPN Star reportedly cut its losses after paying an inflated rights fee of around $1 billion. Cricket Australia, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa were partners in the event, but several other T20 leagues have emerged globally since the last edition.
The report notes that one of the biggest challenges for the revived Champions League will be determining which clubs players will represent. It estimates that the world's top T20 players now participate in at least two and, in some cases, four or five different leagues each year. The ICC and partner countries will need to decide which teams these players will represent, and how the finances of the new league will be split.
Meanwhile, lobbying is reportedly underway for a parallel concept involving a circuit of T20 tournaments hosted globally and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia. However, the report notes that Saudi Arabia's future role could also include serving as a potential host for the Champions League.
An earlier report by The Cricketer revealed that the Champions League could be revived under a new name—World Club Championship—in 2026. The league is expected to follow a similar structure to the original CLT20, with title-winning teams from T20 leagues worldwide, including the IPL, BBL, PSL, SA20, and The Hundred, competing against each other.
The report suggests that the BCCI and ECB are on board with the idea, and ICC Chairman Jay Shah has also lent his support to the revived T20 competition.
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