About Airtel Champions League T20
What is Champions League Twenty20?
The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) tournament brings together domestic
leagues from seven nations as they clash for the top spot in Twenty20 cricket
this October in India. The overall prize money the competition offers is a
staggering USD six million dollars. The winner will take home USD 2.5 million
dollars - the total prize money for the ICC World T20 held in England earlier
this year.
Who will compete in the tournament?
The tournament boasts of some of the finest talent in world cricket like Adam
Gilchrist, Virender Sehwag, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo and Ajantha Mendis.
It will feature 12 teams as opposed to the 8 pencilled in originally making it a
more inclusive and competitive event.
The teams that will compete in the inaugural contest are: DLF IPL Season 2
champions, Deccan Chargers, runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore and third-placed
Delhi Daredevils (India); New South Wales Blues and VB Victorian Bushrangers (Australia);
Cape Cobras and Diamond Eagles (South Africa); Otago Volts (New Zealand);
Wayamba (Sri Lanka); Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies) and winner of England’s
domestic Twenty20 competition - Sussex and runners-up Somerset County Cricket
Club.
The number of teams from any one country is decided of adequate representation
of the leading driver nations. So in this year’s competition, we have three
teams from India; two each from Australia, South Africa and England; and one
each from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies.
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It is a matter of great
honour for a cricket board to announce a new tournament, especially if it
stretches the boundaries within which the game is played. On behalf of the BCCI,
Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, I am pleased to introduce you to
Champions League Twenty20 . a brand new competition that promises to catapult
domestic clubs from various nations to the stratospheric heights of
international success.
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Its never been better for
cricket lovers. A new format, new players and a whole new way of looking at an
old and beloved game. The two ICC World Twenty20 competitions have provided
spectators with plenty of thrilling and emotionally charged moments. And the
Indian Premier League, now two seasons old, has transformed the way we look at
cricket teams and their composition. Nationalities, cricketing traditions and
playing styles all blend in together, making each IPL team a considerable force
with a staggering fan following.
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| The Champions League T20
Tournament has generated great interest in South Africa.
Cricket South Africa's franchise teams who are participating, the Diamond Eagles
and the Cape Cobras, have spent our winter involved in serious preparation.
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| These are truly exciting
times. No other sport is embracing opportunity and the future like cricket is.
More people are watching the sport than ever before as it consistently delivers
massive enjoyment to its billions of fans world-wide.
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| Cricket West Indies is
proud to be associated with Champions League T20. The tournament will feature
Trinidad & Tobago who beat Jamaica comprehensively in the 2008 final of
Stanford 20/20, West Indies' domestic T20 competition. The tournament featured
21 teams and T&T outclassed them all, winning a berth into CLT20.
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| New Zealand Cricket is
delighted to be involved in the inaugural edition of the Champions League
Twenty20, through our 2008/09 champion team, the Otago Volts.
The Champions League Twenty20 is a tremendous initiative and a great opportunity
for domestic teams from the world's leading cricket nations to match their
skills against each other in a hard-hitting, fast-paced tournament.
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| I am pleased to send a
message for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 being held in India and wish
to place on record my appreciation to the organizers for inviting our champion
team for the tournament comprising 12 teams vying for honours. No doubt a team
from Sri Lanka being invited for this event will help further strengthen ties
between cricket playing nations and help provide spectators with bountiful
thrills.
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| On behalf of the England
and Wales Cricket Board we are delighted that Sussex Sharks and Somerset County
Cricket Club will represent England and Wales in the Champions League in 2009 as
the two Finalists from our domestic Twenty20 competition recently held at
Edgbaston.
Both sides have exciting players who will be looking forward to comparing their
skills with some of the best talent in world cricket.
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