With the advent of multiple franchise T20 leagues across the globe, it is understood that the Champions League T20 is set to be revived after receiving backing from the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairmay Jay Shah. The decision has also recieved support from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to The Cricketer, the date for the new World Cup Championship has been set for next year in 2026 and will be rebranded as the World Club Championship.
This new tournament will follow a template similar to the Champions League T20 and will feature the champions of leading T20 leagues worldwide. While specifics like the total number of participating teams and the exact leagues involved are yet to be confirmed, reports indicate that the ECB may prioritise The Hundred winners over the T20 Blast.
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The Champions League T20 was initally launched in 2009 and had sparked significant excitement and secured a profitable broadcasting agreement. However, due to dwindling public interest, the tournament was eventually discontinued from 2015. Amongst the Indian franchises, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won two titles each while New South Wales Blues and Sydney Sixers are the other winners of the tournament.
Since then, the rise of new T20 leagues worldwide has now set the stage for a more competitive and widely followed World Club Championship. Apart from leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL), new leagues such as the Major Cricket League (MLC), UAE’s International League (ILT20), South Africa’s (SA20) amongst others have also expanded the global T20 landscape.
Furthermore, Guyana introduced the Global Super League last year, featuring five franchise teams from different T20 competitions which saw the participations of Guyana Amazon Warriors (CPL), Rangpur Riders (BPL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Hampshire (Vitality Blast) and Victoria (Sheffield Shield) with the Riders emerging winners.
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