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:

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.

Building a Unified T20 Ecosystem – and Blunting Saudi Ambitions

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.

ALSO SEE: RCB analyst credits this player over Virat Kohli for their maiden IPL 2025 title victory

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.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is on the verge of being left out of the inaugural World Clubs T20 Championship, a highly anticipated global tournament set to launch next year with backing from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its chairman Jay Shah. The exclusion has sparked widespread criticism, with many blaming the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a major oversight.

According to inside sources, the PSL champions likely contenders such as Lahore Qalandars or Multan Sultans will not be invited to participate in the event after PCB failed to attend a key planning meeting held on the sidelines of the Cricket Connect Summit in London. The meeting was hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and included CEOs of major T20 leagues like the BBL, SA20, CPL, The Hundred, ILT20, and MLC.

“The PCB was invited to send the CEO of PSL to the meeting, but no one showed up,” a source revealed. This absence reportedly hurt Pakistan’s position in discussions surrounding the event's format, schedule, and long-term vision. The inaugural edition is expected to feature five teams excluding IPL franchises for now, despite the BCCI’s backing, and mirror the model of the defunct Champions League T20.

ALSO SEE: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Fixtures, Venues, and Key Clashes Announced

PSL Faces Global Exclusion Amid Saudi League Pressure

While Saudi Arabia’s proposed $400 million cricket league looms large in the background, the World Clubs Championship appears to be a counter-move, fast-tracked to establish a unified global franchise competition before Saudi plans materialize.

In the meantime, Pakistan is experiencing internal strife. Ali Tareen, the owner of the Multan Sultans, has publicly criticized the PCB for making "misleading" statements regarding PSL 10, pointing to problems with viewership, attendance, and poor management.

With the global T20 schedule changing quickly and Pakistan's cricket ecosystem coming under more scrutiny, this latest omission could be a serious blow to the PSL's reputation abroad.

In a major development for global T20 cricket, reports indicate that the long-defunct Champions League T20 is on track to make a grand return. The Cricketer has reported that the tournament has plans to relaunch in 2026, under a new name—the World Club Championship. The revamped competition aims to bring together top-performing T20 teams from around the world in a new, exciting format.

The new tournament will have a similar structure to the original tournament, Champions League T20 with champions of premier domestic T20 leagues like the IPL, BBL, PSL, SA20 and The Hundred participating. While specific details such as the number of participating teams are still under discussion, reports suggest that the ECB is likely to propose that winners of The Hundred participate instead of those from the Vitality Blast. The initiative has already gained traction, receiving backing from both the BCCI and ECB, with ICC Chairman Jay Shah reportedly giving the green light.

"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," said ECB’s Richard Gould, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. The idea is to create a true global club championship that mirrors the prestige and competition level of football’s UEFA Champions League.

The Rise, Fall, and Revival of CLT20

The Champions League T20 tournament was launched in 2009 and was held annually until 2014. Although it was scheduled for its sixth tournament in 2015, the tournament was cancelled due to poor viewership and lack of a dedicated sponsor. It featured Tier 1 teams from four leagues, with IPL teams the most represented, often with three IPL teams qualifying. Notably, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians were the most successful franchises, each winning the tournament twice.

🚨 Champions League T20 set to be revived as World Club Championship from 2026 with teams from #IPL, 100 & #BBL participating (as per The Cricketer)

Another report says that Jay Shah's ICC has given its backing too (as per Cricxtasy)

Used to pray for such times😭 #CLT20 #GSLT20 pic.twitter.com/P5z5AmorNC

— t20 and nations (@t20andnations) July 1, 2025

See Also: WATCH: Gautam Gambhir, Yuzi Chahal, Rishabh Pant, and Abhishek Sharma lights up the Kapil's show

The revival comes at a time when T20 leagues have flourished globally, providing a perfect setting for a truly competitive club championship. With more leagues and higher global interest in franchise cricket, the World Club Championship could finally deliver on the promise of an international platform for domestic T20 champions—potentially becoming cricket’s version of the football Champions League.