Are These Teams Ready to Electrify Champions League T20
Reports are suggesting that the Champions League T20 is all set to return from September 2026. This tournament had its last season played in 2014, and after more than a decade, it is all set to mark a comeback, proving to be a nostalgic moment for fans.
Nowadays, there are a number of T20 leagues being played across different parts of the world, such as the Big Bash League, Vitality Blast, Caribbean Premier League, Indian Premier League, and various others. But there was also a time when the top teams across every league used to compete against each other.
🔙 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐓𝟐𝟎 𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊!
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 20, 2025
The iconic tournament returns after ICC’s green signal
First match could be played as early as September 2026 🏆🔥
Who’s ready for club clashes on the big stage again? 💥#CLT20 pic.twitter.com/7uc0KADXMd
This was done in the tournament known as Champions League T20, which was played from 2009 to 2014. After its 2014 season, the tournament was disbanded due to a number of reasons, marking an end to its legacy. But now it seems that the Champions League will be marking its return in 2026.
The concept of the Champions League T20 has been simple, as this tournament allows the top four teams of the T20 leagues to go against each other and decide which team is the ultimate winner. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the most successful teams in a few editions of this tournament, winning two titles each.
| T20 League | Winner |
|---|---|
| Indian Premier League | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| International League T20 | Dubai Capitals |
| Big Bash League | Hobart Hurricanes |
| Vitality Blast | Gloucestershire |
| The Hundred | Oval Invincibles |
| Major League Cricket | MI New York |
| Caribbean Premier League | St Lucia Kings |
| Bangladesh Premier League | Fortune Barishal |
Now, the ICC looks more serious about commencing the tournament of the top T20 leagues, where the qualified teams would go against each other. Some reports also suggest that the preparations for the tournament will begin soon to make it start from September 2026. Let’s take a look at the teams that could add a thrill to the Champions League T20, as soon as it begins.
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League 2025 season was a thrilling one for all the fans, as they got to see the best of every team. With the tournament being a lot tougher than before, it was a nail-biter for every fan. In the end, Royal Challengers Bengaluru converted their Ee Sala Cup Namde to Ee Sala Cup Namdu, by winning the finals.
The team created a good number of records this season, winning all the away matches scheduled for them. They defeated the Punjab Kings in the final match, which made it to the finals of the tournament after 11 seasons. It surely was a season when the teams with no trophies showcased their dominance.
With RCB and PBKS finishing the tournament at the top two, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans also finished in the playoffs. Gujarat Titans got themselves eliminated after a loss against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. On the other hand, Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier, ending their journey. These are the four teams that are likely to be a part of the Champions League T20, having qualified through the Indian Premier League.
Big Bash League
Just like the Indian Premier League, this time the Big Bash League also saw unexpected winners, as a team that had not won a trophy was able to end its jinx in the current season. Hobart Hurricanes won the current Big Bash League season, emerging as the champions, as they defeated Sydney Thunder in the finals by 7 wickets.
Sydney Thunder finished as the runners-up of the current season, as they reached the finals by defeating Sydney Sixers in the Challenger match. The match between the two Sydney teams was a lot closer, but in the end, it was the Sydney Thunder that won the game by 4 wickets. As a result, the Sydney Sixers finished this season in third spot.
The fourth spot in the 2024-25 edition of the Big Bash League was secured by Melbourne Stars, who made it to the qualifiers with just one extra win from the team that missed being in the 5th spot. But their journey in the qualifiers was short-lived, as they lost to the Sydney Thunder in the Knockout match.
Vitality Blast
Gloucestershire dominated in the Vitality Blast 2024 edition, coming out on top against all the other teams. First, they struggled a bit in the South Group but still managed to reach the quarter-finals by finishing in 4th place with 7 wins in 14 matches. Later, they made a spot in the semi-finals by defeating Birmingham Bears by 14 runs.
After winning the clash against Birmingham, the team had become a reckoning force, as they went on to defeat Sussex in the semi-final by 8 wickets. Later, they also went on to defeat Somerset in the final clash by 8 wickets, winning the title with ease. It was a tough game for Somerset, as the team finished the season being the runners-up.
Surrey also made it to the semi-finals of the Vitality Blast, as the team dominated the tournament with ease. But they were not able to continue the form for long, as they lost the semi-final clash against Somerset by 6 wickets. Watching Surrey, Somerset, Sussex, and Gloucestershire in the CLT20 would be a cherry on top for the fans.
The Hundred
The Hundred 2024 edition saw a way too close contest among the top teams, which added a thrill to the tournament. The top four teams, Oval Invincibles, Birmingham Phoenix, Southern Brave, and Northern Superchargers, were way too close to each other in terms of points. If any of these teams could have secured an extra win, it would have created a big difference in the tournament.
Northern Superchargers were too close to reaching the playoffs, but due to their net run rate, the team ended up in the 4th spot, missing out on the playoffs. Oval Invincibles, on the other hand, finished in the top spot in the rankings, which helped them to directly gain a spot in the final match.
Now, for the remaining one spot, Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave went against each other. The Eliminator match involving both teams ended in a tie, after which Southern Brave won the Super Over. In the ultimate clash between Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles, the Brave fell short by 17 runs, allowing the Oval Invincibles to win the title.
Bangladesh Premier League
With just 7 teams, the Bangladesh Premier League was still able to put up some thrilling matches for the fans, exciting them with their performances in the upcoming Champions League T20. Fortune Barishal dominated the tournament with ease, as they finished in the top spot in the standings with 9 wins in 12 matches.
The team was followed by Chittagong Kings, Rangpur Riders, and Khulna Tigers. The journey for Rangpur Riders ended soon in the qualifiers, as they lost the Eliminator match against Khulna Tigers by 9 wickets. Following this, Fortune Barishal defeated Chittagong Kings in the first qualifier to mark their spot in the final clash.
However, Chittagong Kings were able to resurrect themselves from the loss, as they defeated Khulna Tigers in Qualifier 2 to reach the finals. This time again, they ended up losing to Fortune Barishal by a close margin of 3 wickets and 3 balls remaining.
Major League Cricket
Another T20 league which has gained rapid popularity these days is the Major League Cricket, where some teams have also been acquired by the same franchises that have teams in the IPL. MI New York ended up winning the recently concluded edition of the Major League Cricket.
The team had barely made it to the playoffs, finishing in just the 4th spot with 3 wins in 10 matches. On the other hand, Washington Freedom dominated, as they finished at the top with 16 points, followed by Texas Super Kings and San Francisco Unicorns with 14 points each. The first qualifier match was abandoned after the toss.
On the other hand, MI New York started its dominance by first defeating San Francisco Unicorns in the Eliminator by 2 wickets. They further went on to beat the Texas Super Kings in the second qualifier by 7 wickets. In the final clash, the team went against Washington Freedom and ended up winning the clash by 5 runs, scripting the best comeback.
International League T20
The six teams T20 league held among the teams in the United Arab Emirates, the International League T20 also featured some exciting clashes this time. In the 2024-25 season, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates, and Sharjah Warriors ended up reaching the tournament playoffs. Showcasing their best in the league stages, it was now time for the ultimate faceoff in the qualifiers.
Dubai Capitals remained a dominant force in this tournament, as they started by defeating Desert Vipers in Qualifier 1 by 5 wickets to reach the finals. Further, Sharjah Warriors defeated MI Emirates in the Eliminator match by 6 wickets, which helped them to reach Qualifier 2 and end the journey of MI Emirates.
In the second qualifier, Desert Vipers secured an impressive 7-wicket win over Sharjah Warriors to reach the finals. However, the result didn’t change this time either, as Dubai Capitals defeated them by 4 wickets to win the International League T20 title. The dominance of Dubai Capitals remained unmatched throughout the tournament, as the team capitalised on every opportunity to come out on top.
With the Champions League T20 set to take place in September 2026, several T20 leagues would have already taken place, and fans would see new champions or top performers in the upcoming seasons. Thus, the teams that would be participating in the CLT20 would be seen as the window opens for the tournament qualification.
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