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Champions League T20 To Return In 2026; Rebranded as World Club Championship - Report

Abhinav Tyagi

Champions League T20 - (Source : @Cricbuzz/X.com)Champions League T20 - (Source : @Cricbuzz/X.com)

In a significant development, reports suggest that the defunct Champions League T20 is set for a comeback. According to a report from The Cricketer, the much-loved tournament will be relaunched in 2026 and rebranded as the World Club Championship.

Champions League T20 Set For A Return

The concept will be similar to the Champions League T20, where the winners of major global T20 leagues such as the IPL, The Hundred, BBL, PSL, and SA20 will participate in this new tournament set to launch next year. The report also mentioned that the idea to revive the Champions League T20 has the support of the ECB and BCCI and has received a green light from ICC chairman Jay Shah.

Although details such as the number of teams and which leagues will be included are yet to be announced, rumours suggest that the ECB would prefer the winners of The Hundred to participate in the World Club Championship rather than the winners of the Vitality T20 Blast.

"That is on the cards. Without doubt, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship for both men and women. That's the next logical step," ECB's Gould was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo a few weeks ago.

What Happened to the Champions League and Why Is Its Revival Important?

The inaugural edition of the Champions League T20 took place in 2009 and was held annually until 2014. The tournament was discontinued in 2015 due to lack of viewership and sponsorship issues.

Further, teams from only four leagues used to participate, with the IPL getting the most slots—three. CSK and MI are the most successful teams, with two wins each.

However, now is the time for revival, as there are T20 leagues across every country, allowing more teams to participate in the new tournament. Furthermore, it could become cricket's answer to football's Champions League.