Know the history of the Champions League T20 (CLT20)

Just after India earned the T20 World Cup 2007 title, the landscape of the shortest format changed in a span of three years to 2009. The blue brigade’s successful foundation of the franchise-based T20 league, known as the Indian Premier League (IPL), brought several changes to the game. It created different opportunities for the board, the players, and the fans of the sport.

In 2008, the three boards, the BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA), and Cricket South Africa (CSA), partnered to found the Champions League T20 (CLT20). They officially launched the league. However, delays were caused by the postponement of the event in 2009, and in September of that year, the first-ever edition took place in India.

The league is nearly similar to the UEFA Champions League in football. The plan was to have the best T20 teams from the best cricketing nations for the ultimate prize. The last season of the competition was played in 2014 and was eventually scrapped due to the low viewership numbers and the surprising financial losses. In the last season, it was a 10-team tournament.

History of the Champions Trophy T20 (CLT20) till the 2014 season

In the opening season of the tournament, 12 teams participated from seven countries. The top three teams from the IPL, the champions and the runners-up, each from Australia, South Africa, and the Champions of West Indies, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, came into the event. With more overs to progress, more teams participated in the leagues to make it more structured.

Only the teams of India, South Africa, and Australia got the direct qualification. In the last season of the tournament, none of the franchises of Pakistan participated. The England players didn’t get the chance to participate due to the clash with their domestic season.

In the first season of the tournament during 2009/10, New South Wales became the champions, while the Chennai Super Kings earned the title in 2010/11. Mumbai Indians won the title next year, followed by the Sydney Sixers. Mumbai again became the champions in the 2013/14 season before the MS Dhoni-led side celebrated the trophy in the very last season of the tournament. However, it may return now, last year in September.