A new global cricket tournament, the World Club Championship, is scheduled to debut in 2026 as a modern successor to the long-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20). This event aims to be more expansive and ambitious, gathering the title-winning franchises from the world’s premier T20 leagues and promising fans a unique spectacle of inter-league matchups.
Teams expected to participate include champions from major competitions such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, and The Hundred, according to a report by The Cricketer. The initiative has already garnered significant support from leading cricket organisations, notably the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and ICC Chairman Jay Shah.
In a significant move, the ECB has indicated it will nominate the champion of The Hundred, rather than the traditional Blast winner, to represent England, highlighting the rising profile of the newer format.
ECB CEO Richard Gould stated that preparations for the World Club Championship are close to completion and also suggested that a women’s edition could be launched in the future. “That is on the cards. Without a doubt, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship for both men and women. That’s the next logical step,” Gould said.
The structure of the new tournament is expected to be similar to the original CLT20, which was first introduced in 2009 and brought together leading domestic T20 teams from several cricketing nations.
The original Champions League T20 was discontinued in 2015, primarily due to a combination of poor television ratings, lack of sponsorship, and an imbalance in team representation—factors that saw IPL franchises frequently dominate the tournament. Notably, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings each lifted the CLT20 trophy twice, underlining the dominance of Indian teams during the competition’s brief history.
Since then, the global T20 franchise ecosystem has expanded rapidly, with nearly every major cricketing nation establishing its own successful league. Countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the UAE, and the USA now boast thriving domestic T20 competitions. Fan engagement has soared, and the T20 format has become a central pillar of cricket’s global popularity.
The United States, in particular, has emerged as a promising new market for T20 cricket with the launch of Major League Cricket (MLC), attracting international stars and further diversifying the sport’s global footprint.
New franchise initiatives continue to emerge, such as Guyana’s Global T20 Super League, which features a unique mix of teams including the Guyana Amazon Warriors (CPL), Rangpur Riders (BPL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Hampshire (Vitality Blast), and Victoria (Australia). These developments reflect the ongoing vibrancy and innovation within the T20 landscape.
With T20 cricket experiencing explosive growth across continents and women’s franchise leagues gaining momentum, the timing for the World Club Championship’s return could not be better. The tournament promises not only to revive the spirit of inter-league rivalry but also to showcase the global reach and inclusivity of the modern game, setting the stage for both men’s and women’s champions to shine on a world platform.
(Inputs sourced from The Cricketer)
