Champions League T20 set for dramatic 2026 return but ICC could deliver crushing blow to Test cricket's future: Report
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, several influential cricket boards have voiced support for reviving the Champions League T20 (CLT20) during the ICC's ongoing meeting in Singapore. The now-defunct tournament, which ran from 2009 to 2014, had featured top T20 franchises from around the world in a format modelled on UEFA's Champions League.
Though scrapped a decade ago due to financial unviability, most notably after the withdrawal of broadcaster ESPN Star, the rapid commercialisation of T20 leagues globally has created fertile ground for its return.
If finalised, the new tournament version will face a different kind of challenge: deciding the player pool. As franchise owners now span multiple leagues and players are contracted across competitions, the ICC will have to iron out complex eligibility rules. The report also noted that logistical and funding decisions remain pending, although momentum for the tournament's revival is clearly building.
Test cricket facing limitations
In stark contrast to this push for glitz and franchise expansion, Test cricket could soon be subject to a cutback. The same ICC meeting is reportedly exploring a cap on the number of Test-playing nations, which could mark a decisive shift in cricket's priorities.
A working group, including ICC's new chief executive Sanjog Gupta and chaired by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, has been tasked with recommending a roadmap by the end of the year.
Gupta, speaking at Lord's last year during the MCC's World Cricket Connects panel, hinted at the changes to come. 'You have to make hard choices,' he had said.
'There is enough data to suggest what direction the game is going in. If you continue to serve a product that no one wants... the ecosystem around the product will continue to suffer. Blackberry disappeared at some point... it was replaced by another product.'
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