World Club Championship 2026: Full list of participating countries

Cricket is gearing up for a major global shake-up as the Champions League T20 format is set to return – this time with a new identity. Reports suggest the revamped competition will be called the World Club Championship, bringing together the winners of the world’s top T20 franchise leagues in a blockbuster tournament format.

Several sources have indicated that the event will take place in 2026, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) being two of the most invested in the revival. Furthermore, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also given support to the idea, signalling its desire to take club T20 cricket globally.

Participating Leagues in the Inaugural Edition:

T20 League	Country/Region
Indian Premier League (IPL)	India
Big Bash League (BBL)	Australia
The Hundred	England
SA20	South Africa
Caribbean Premier League (CPL)	West Indies
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)	Bangladesh
Major League Cricket (MLC)	United States of America
Lanka Premier League (LPL)	Sri Lanka
International League T20 (ILT20)	United Arab Emirates

However, there’s a major omission. No team from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will feature in the first edition, reportedly due to Pakistan Cricket Board’s absence from a key meeting held in London. The meeting, hosted under the ICC’s umbrella, was attended by representatives of all the major T20 leagues, including the Emirates League, SA20, CPL, and more. The Lahore Qalandars, the reigning PSL champions, will miss out.

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ECB CEO Richard Gould, in a statement to ESPNcricinfo, confirmed that the tournament is indeed "on the cards" for both men and women, calling it “the next logical step” for the evolution of franchise cricket.

The World Club Championship is also reportedly being fast-tracked to counter the emergence of the Saudi Cricket League, a high-budget T20 initiative backed by a reported USD 400 million investment. Saudi plans to model their league on the tennis Grand Slam format, but opposition from top cricket boards like the BCCI and ECB – who are unlikely to grant NOCs to their players – has already created roadblocks.

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With nearly every cricketing nation now boasting a franchise T20 league, a unified global competition makes strategic sense. It not only provides a global stage for top-performing teams but also gives players from emerging leagues – like those in the UAE and USA – a golden opportunity to rub shoulders with the sport’s elite.

A Global Reboot of Franchise Cricket's Biggest Stage

The concept closely mirrors the now-defunct Champions League T20, which ran from 2009 to 2014. That tournament saw top clubs from the IPL, BBL, South Africa’s Ram Slam, and others compete in a high-stakes, intercontinental format. The new World Club Championship aims to revive that legacy – but with a more inclusive, globally aligned structure.

Though the exact format and schedule are still under discussion, the World Club Championship is likely to:

• Feature winners (or top teams) from each major T20 league
  
• Rotate venues globally
  
• Feature both men’s and women’s editions in the long run
  
• Be supported by strong broadcast and commercial deals
  

The stage is now being set for what could become cricket’s ultimate franchise showdown. With most of the cricketing world on board and ICC backing secured, the World Club Championship promises to redefine the global T20 calendar – and spark new rivalries along the way.