Reports: BCCI set to abandon Champions League T20

CSK won the 2014 edition of the CL T20

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are set to scrap the Champions League Twenty20 (CL T20) altogether after members of the BCCI working committee met in Kolkata on Sunday. The first edition of the CL T20, which is jointly owned by the BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), was held in 2009 and since then, the tournament has been played on an annual basis in the month of September/October.

The BCCI reportedly informed the governing council of the CL T20 as well as the Australian and South African boards of its intention to not continue with the tournament during its meeting yesterday. The reason for this is apparently because of Star Sports, official broadcasters of the CL T20, incurring losses of $100 million every year from broadcasting the cash-rich league and, therefore, not being too keen to continue their association with it.

“The meeting will be called sooner than later. The discussions have been going on for a while,” Chris Nenzani, president of the CSA, said.

While the CL T20 has perhaps not been a great success in terms of its viewership and global appeal, it deserves credit for giving the likes of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, who first made their name through the CL T20, an opportunity to thrive at the highest level.

Since the inaugural edition 6 years back, there have been 4 separate winners of the competition. While Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2014) and Mumbai Indians (2011, 2013) have won the tournament twice each, Australia’s New South Wales Blues (2009) and Sydney Sixers (2012) have won it once each.