TWO INDIAN Premier League teams Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore will meet in the first semi-final of the Airtel Champions League T20 at Durban on Friday September 24. MS Dhoni led Chennai and Anil Kumble led Bangalore will take on each other in the crucial match and it may become the one of the most watched match in CLT20.
Chennai Super Kings from Group A has won three matches while, lost one in the super over against Victoria at Port Elizabeth. In their first match in the tournament, they won against Central Districts by 57 runs. In the second match Chennai Super Kings won by 97 runs against Wayamba and in their last league match that was a do-or-die match for them, the team won by 10 runs against South African team Warriors at Port Elizabeth a day before yesterday.
Second semi-finalist in Champions League T20, Royal Challengers Bangalore started their campaign in Champions League T20 with a big win against Guyana at Centurion by nine wickets with 46 balls remaining. In the next two matches they lost against South Australia Redbacks and Mumbai Indians by eight wickets and two runs respectively. In the final league match against Lions, Royal Challengers won by six wickets and secured their berth for semi-final on better net run rate.
For the Chennai Super Kings, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Michael Hussey and Captain MS Dhoni are the key players. Till now Murali Vijay has performed consistently well. Spinner Ashwin has also performed well and picked crucial wickets in all the matches. Muttiah Muralitharan is also a key player for his team.
For Royal Challengers Bangalore, they also have a number of big name in international cricket like Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn. They can be very useful from bat and ball for their team.
Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore's first semi-final match in Airtel Champions League T20 will start at 9:00 PM IST.
IN THE last league match of Airtel Champions League 2010 this evening at St. Gerorge's Park, Port Elizabeth, MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings will take on unbeaten Warriors in the battle to reach Semifinals.
In Group A, Warriors have six points after winning three matches and Chennai has won two matches and lost one against Victoria Bushrangers in the Super Over. On the other hand, Victoria Bushrangers also have six points from four league matches. If tonight, Chennai Super Kings is able to win against South African local team Warriors, then they will qualify for semifinals on the basis of better run rate.
From Group B, South Australia Redbacks and Royal Challengers Bangalore have already secured their place for semi-final match.
Chennai Super Kings, the winner of Indian Premier League 2010, have many world class players. Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina are the key players for CSK. In the previous match Michael Hussey did not perform well, but he is a world class cricketer. Captain Dhoni can also destroy any bowling attack. Local men Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp are always useful both with bat and ball.
In the bowling department spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan can destroy any batting side. Fast bowler Doug Bollinger and Laxmipati Balaji can take the advantage of bouncy pitches.
Warriors Captain Davy Jacobs, who has performed well in all the league matches can cause headache for Chennai. Ashwell Prince and Mark Bouncher are also in good touch with the bat. Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje and Johan Botha can play a important role for their team.
Chennai Super Kings and Warriors match in the Champions League T20 will start from 9 PM IST.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS Bangalore will play a crucial match on Tuesday against Highveld Lions to secure a berth in the semifinals of the Airtel Champions League T20 championship at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. South Australia Redbacks have already qualified from Group B in the semis.
Highveld Lions has played three matches and won two, whereas, Royal Challengers in the same number of matches won only one match. However, Royal Challengers net run rate is better than Highveld Lions and Mumbai Indians, who also have four points from four matches.
In the first match, Royal Challengers Bangalore won against Guyana by nine wickets, but in the next two matches Anil Kumble led Bangalore team lost against South Australia Redbacks and Mumbai Indians. South Australia won by eight wickets and in the previous match Mumbai Indians won by two runs.
In the previous match against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost only on the last ball. Virat Kohli almost won the match for his team, but he was out on the last ball of the match and Bangalore lost just by two runs. He smashed 47 runs in 30 balls. Opener Rahul Dravid also played well and was unbeaten for 71 runs.
The South African Highveld Lions captain and opener Alviro Petersen has scored two fifties so far in the tournament and is the highest run getter for his team. In the previous match against Guyana, Lions fast bowler Ethan O'Reilly picked four wickets for the cost of 27 runs.
In the do-or-die match today, Royal Challengers will have to perform well with bat and ball to secure a place in semifinals in the Airtel Champions League T20.
Chennai’s form has been impeccable, but the opposition have been Central Stags and Wayamba – clearly the weakest of all the teams in the competition. This means that the game against the Victorians will be their first true test and it will not be as easy as the previous wins. For Victoria, the first match was a game to forget against Warriors (11/8 at Coral). But they have come back well to beat the Stags in a game that went down to the wire.
Chennai will be favorites (4/6 at Stan James) for this one, but will need to hold all their catches if they are to maintain that tag. Indian teams have found it difficult to field as well as their opposition and that is where the problems have crept up for them.
The batting is not a problem on the whole for the Super Kings, but the form of Matthew Hayden (4/1 at Boylesports) is a definite issue. He had got out to a first-ball duck against the Stags and hardly got a move on against the Wayamba side. Suresh Raina (4/1 at Stan James) was at his explosive best on a track that had nothing for the pace bowlers, but the question is whether he will be able to get his best game out against a good bowling attack.
MS Dhoni (13/2 at Coral) has been holding himself back in the tournament so far, probably due to health reasons. However, one cannot see him not bat in the top four if the Super Kings lose early wicket in this game.
The Bushrangers have Aaron Finch (4/1 at Coral) to thank for their lone win in the tournament. His unbeaten 90 against the Stags was a well-compiled and a matured innings, something that the likes of David Hussey (4/1 at BetFred and Rob Quiney (9/2 at William Hill) could do well to learn. If Brad Hodge (7/2 at Boylesports) is fit, it will make things easier for the Bushrangers, as it was evident from the previous match that the lower-middle order like Andrew McDonald (8/1 at Blue Square) need their time to get on with the game.
Tips:
Favourites: Chennai Super Kings (4/6 at Stan James)
Top Chennai batsman: MS Dhoni (13/2 at Coral)
Top Victoria batsman: Brad Hodge (7/2 at Boylesports)
Read More >> Champions League T20
With the third consecutive win against IPL Royal challenger Bangalore in the Airtel Champions league T20 the South Australian Redbacks became the first team to qualify for the semi-final in the champions’ league tournament. Royal challenger was demolished by the Redbacks by 8 wickets. It seems that Bangalore can’t withstand the absence of the all-rounder Jacques Kallis from the team as the team was seen struggling in both the batting as well as bowling part of the game.
Batting first, Royal challenger posted a below average target of 154 runs in 19.5 overs which was chased by the Redbacks in 18.3 overs only with 8 wickets in their hand. After winning the toss, Royals decided to bat first. However, their decision to bat first did not go in their favour as they lost three of their initial wickets early in the match cheaply. Utahappa failed to open his account and he was sent back to pavilion on duck.
Royal’s inning was a bit controlled after the initial three blows and they were brought at the score of 74 in 10 overs. Du Preez played some attacking shots and with his 46 runs contribution to the total, Bangalore at one stage was looking at better position but the wickets kept falling and Royals were reduced to 154 for 10 with one ball to go.
Ross Taylor also made 46 runs. Cameron White contributed 25. For Redbacks, Daniel Christian took four wickets, while Tait and Putland took two wickets each. Chasing the target of 154 runs was made mockery by Redbacks batsmen as they made 124 runs for the first wicket stand. Redbacks reached the target of 155 in 18.3 overs only with 8 wickets in their hands.
Michael Klinger remained unbeaten on 69, while Daniel Harris made 57. Callum Ferguson remained unbeaten on 21. Klinger was declared “Man of the Match” for the second time in CLT20.
Read More >> Airtel Champions league T20
IN THE 11th match in the Airtel Champions Trophy T20 tournament this evening, Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on South Australia Redbacks at Kingsmead, Durban. South Australia have won in both the matches and topped the group, while Bangalore crushed Guyana in their only match in the tournament.
In the previous match on Sunday at SuperSport Park in Centurion, Royal Challengers won by nine wickets with 46 balls remaining against Guyana, which lost again yesterday against Mumbai Indians. Jacques Kallis showed his all-rounder performance and was declared man-of-the-match. Rahul Dravid also contributed as an opener. Young Robin Uthappa smashed 25 runs in just eight balls.
Other Banglore batsmen Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor and Cameron White can change the match with their abilities. In the bowling, Captain Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar can cause mayhem against any opponent with their world class bowling ability.
In today's match if Redbacks are able to win against Royal Challengers, they automatically qualify for the Semifinal. Their Captain Michael Klinger smashed 78 runs in 48 balls against Highveld Lions and 50 against Mumbai Indians. Daniel Harris scored 57 runs in 38 balls inning against the Mumbai Indians. Shaun Tait, who is one of the fastest bowler in international cricket, could be the main concern for Royal Challengers Bangalore this evening.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Australia Redbacks match in the Airtel Champions Trophy T20 tournament will start from 9 PM IST.
Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar has the ability to clinch the victory from the jaw of defeat single-handed, but in cricket it is also important to see the team effort. In today's match, Mumbai Indians may consider the reshuffle in batting order of Kieron Pollard. He is one of the best stroke player of the world. Young Shikhar Dhawan and Ambati Rayudu can also steal the show for their team. Today, Saurabh Tiwary may also get a chance ahead of R Sathish against South Australian Redbacks.
Mumbai Indians main concern is their bowling, in the previous match Zaheer Khan was very expensive, Harbhajan Singh is also not performing well. However, Lasith Malinga did bowl well against Highveld Lions.
South Australian Redbacks Captain Michael Klinger smashed 78 runs in 48-ball innings which had six fours and five sixes, to an 11-run victory over Highveld Lions. In the bowling department Shaun Tait, whose deliveries touched 150kmph, was the most successful bowler with three for 36 from his four overs.
Read More >> Champions League T20 tournament
The IPL runner-up Mumbai Indians lost once while chasing against Highveld Lions and once while defending against South Australian Redbacks. On the previous two occasions they scored 176 and 180 runs. In the previous match, young Sourav Tiwary smashed brilliant 44 runs off 36 balls and Kireon Pollard cracked 36 runs. Captain Sachin Tendulkar also played brilliantly for 62-ball 69 runs, in the first match of the tournament. Other Mumbai Indian batsmen also contributed for their side in the last two games.
In the bowling department only Lasith Malinga has been impressive. He picked important wickets on both the occasion, but Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh have failed to impress the batting sides. Zaheer Khan has picked only one wicket for 78 runs so far in the Champions League T20 tournament.
Mumbai Indians Captain Sachin Tendulkar blamed the fielding for the lost. Mumbai Indians dropped some important catches in the previous two occasions. He was also concerned a bit about the bowling department.
The Caribbean team Guyana lost their first game against Royal Challengers Bangalore by nine wickets. Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan is the only big name in their side. Today's match between Mumbai Indians and Guyana is a do-or-die situation for both teams.
Read More >> Champions League T20
ROYAL CHALLENGERS Bangalore opened their account in Airtel Champions League 2010 T20 tournament with a big win against Guyana. Royal Challengers Bangalore crushed Guyana by nine wickets on Sunday night at SuperSport Park, Centurion. RCB's Jacques Kallis was declared man-of-the-match for his all-round performance.
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore's captain Anil Kumble won the toss and elected to ball first. Bangalore's bowler Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar did not allow Guyana's batsmen to make runs freely as the ball swung making it difficult to score freely. Jacques Kallis picked three wickets just for 16 runs in four overs. Guyana was all out for 103 runs in 20 overs. Christopher Barnwell scored maximum 30 runs for his side.
In response, RCB opened their inning in style. For the first wicket, openers Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid added 78 runs in 10.5 overs. Rahul Dravid left the crease after making 33 runs in 34 balls with three fours. Next man Robin Uthappa smashed 25 runs with two massive hits over the fence and two fours in just eight balls. Jacques Kallis was not out for 46 runs with 4 fours and a six in 32 balls. Royal Challengers Bangalore won the match with 46 balls to spare.
Today in Champions Trophy T20 tournament, Victoria Bushrangers will play against Chevrolet Warriors at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth in a Group A match. In their first game at the same ground on Saturday Warriors had beaten Wayamba.
MS DHONI'S Chennai Super Kings is all set to clash with New Zealand's Central Districts Stags team in the third match of Airtel Champions League 2010 at the Kingsmead in Durban this evening. Chennai Super Kings is the winner of Indian Premier League 3, whereas, Central Districts were the winners of the T20 Cup that happened in New Zealand last season. It is an interesting fact that Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming hails from New Zealand.
Some of the top players of Chennai Super Kings are captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Mathew Hayden, Suresh Raina, Michael Hussey, Muralitharan and Justin Kamp. These players delivered great performances during the IPL 3 and helped the team lift the trophy.
New Zealand's Central Districts Stags is without Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram. Ross Taylor is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Jacob Oram is suffering from an injury. However, Captain Jamie How and Matthew Sinclair can change the direction of the match at any moment.
Chennai Super Kings won their first practice match against local side Dolphins but lost in the next match. It will be great to watch the match this evening as one of the strongest contenders of Champion League T20, Chennai Super Kings will start their campaign against Central Districts Stags. The match promises to be an entertainer and will be definitely delight the cricket fans with quality of cricket.
The arena is all set for the Airtel Champions League T20 2010. It will be held in South Africa from 10 to 26 September 2010 as the 2nd edition of the multi-million dollar Champions League Twenty 20. It is headed by Mr. Shashank Manohar who is the BCCI President and Chairman and Commissioner of IPL.
The participants comprise club teams from countries like India; Australia; England; South Africa; Sri Lanka; New Zealand and West Indies. The teams are named Central Districts; Chennai Super Kings; Guyana Lions; Mumbai Indians; Royal Challengers Bangalore; South Australia; Victoria; Warriors; and Wayamba.
The opening ceremony of the 2nd edition of this League was held in Johannesburg that possess of players like Muttiah Muralidharan and certainly, the officials and big players of the hosts.
The lists of full schedule of the Champions League T20:
- On September 10, Friday: at 9 pm IST-Mumbai Indians Vs Highveld Lions at Johannesburg.
- On September 11, Saturday: at 5 pm IST- Warriors Vs Wayamba at Port Elizabeth; at 9 pm IST-Central Stags Vs CSK at Durban.
- On September 12, Sunday: at 5 pm IST- Highveld Lions Vs Redbacks at Centurion; 9 pm IST- RCB Vs Guyana at Centurion.
- On September 13, Monday: at 9 pm IST- Victoria Bushrangers Vs Warriors at Port Elizabeth.
- On September 14, Tuesday: at 9 pm IST-Mumbai Indians Vs Redbacks at Durban.
- On September 15, Wednesday: at 5 pm IST- Central Stags Vs Victoria Bushrangers at Centurion; at 9 pm IST- CSK Vs Wayamba.
- On September 16, Thursday: at 9 pm IST-Mumbai Indians Vs Guyana at Durban.
- On September 17, Friday: at 9 pm IST-Redbacks Vs RCB at Durban.
- On September 18, Saturday: at 5 pm IST-Warriors Vs Central Stags at Port Elizabeth; at9 pm IST-CSK Vs Victoria Bushrangers at Port Elizabeth.
- On September 19, Sunday: at 5 pm IST- Highveld Lions Vs Guyana at Johannesburg; at 9 pm IST- Mumbai Indians Vs RCB at Durban.
- On September 20, Monday: at 9 pm IST- Victoria Bushrangers Vs Wayamba at Centurion.
- On September 21, Tuesday: at 5 pm IST- Redbacks Vs Guyana at Johannesburg; at 9 pm IST- Highveld Lions Vs RCB at Johannesburg.
- On September 22, Wednesday: at 5 pm IST- Wayamba Vs Centra Stags at Port Elizabeth; at 9 pm IST- CSK Vs Warriors at Port Elizabeth.
- On September 24, Friday: 9 pm IST- 1st Semifinal at Durban.
- On September 25, Saturday: 9 pm IST- 2nd Semifinal at Centuriona.
The live coverage of the event will be telecasted on the TV. The rights of its live production have been reserved by the Star Network that will show the matches utterly on their Star Cricket Channel.
IN THE inaugural match of the second edition of Airtel Champions League T20 tournament, Mumbai Indians will take on Highveld Lions at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, this evening in a Group B match. Mumbai Indians led by the none other than Sachin Tendulkar had finished runner-up in the Indian Premier League this year, whereas, South African team Highveld Lions finished second in South Africa's Standard Bank Twenty20 series.
Mumbai Indians is the first-timer in the Champions League T20 and it looks strong on paper. Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, JP Duminy, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga form backbone of this team. Mumbai Indians also have some young guns like Ambati Rayudu, R Sathish and Saurabh Tiwary, who have performed exceptionally well in the IPL and domestic cricket.
Highveld Lions, the South African team led by Alviro Petersen seems ideal for the T20 format. They have no big names in the squad, but is full of all-rounders. However, Alviro Petersen and Neil McKenzie are capable of showing fireworks against any opponent. Robert Frylick and Ethan O'Reilly are the leading bowler of his side.
The second edition of the Champions League Twenty20 Cricket match will be played among ten teams from six countries for the next 17 days. The fireworks between Mumbai Indians and Highveld Lions will start from 9 PM IST.
Read More >> Champions League T20, CLT20
The Champions League T20 2010, commercially known as Airtel Champions leagueTwenty20 is set to start from September 10, 2010 in South Africa. The tournament going to be played with 10 teams from 6 countries. Champions League will start on September 10 and the finals will be sept 26. 10 teams from 6 countries participate which will broadcast all over the world. ESPN Star secured the broadcasting rights for the tournament. ESPNStar's Star Cricket and Star Sports will be showing it live in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, and other different countries.
Here are a list of TV Channels showing Airtel Champions League T20 2010 Live:
| # | BROADCASTER | TERRITORY |
| 22 | Cric One | Middle East & North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, Western Sahara, Yemen) |
| 23 | ATN | Canada |
| 79 | Eurosport | England, Wales, Scotland and Republic of Ireland, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland,Sweden, Belgium, France and Monaco, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland and Faroe Islands, Italy,Liechtenstein, San Marino and Vatican City, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Azores and Madeira, Russia, Spain, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan Switzerland, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Kazakhstan,Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey , Ukraine & Slovak Republic. |
| 94 | TBC | Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Surinam |
| 101 | ESPN STAR Sports | Indian Sub continent ( India,Bangladesh,Nepal,Sri Lanka,Maldives,Bhutan,Pakistan ) |
| 102 | DirecTV (Willow TV) | USA |
| 103 | Hitron | Papua New Guinea |
| 104 | Network Ten | Australia |
| 105 | PCCW | Hong Kong |
| 106 | Sky New Zealand | New Zealand |
| 107 | Starhub | Singapore |
| 109 | Star Sports (China) | China & Macau |
| 159 | Supersports | Sub Saharan Africa & South Africa (list countries) Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros Islands, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, St Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Zimbabwe & South Africa. |
Airtel Champions league T20 2010 available in Many Languages in across the world
| SR No. | Languages |
| 1 | Bulgarian |
| 2 | Czech |
| 3 | Danish |
| 4 | English |
| 5 | French |
| 6 | German |
| 7 | Greek |
| 8 | Hungarian |
| 9 | Italian |
| 10 | Polish |
| 11 | Romanian |
| 12 | Russian |
| 13 | Serbian |
| 14 | Turkish |
| 15 | Swedish |
Read More >> CLT20 , Champions leagueTwenty20
The battle of Champions, Champions League T20 2010 is set to start from 10 September 2010 in South Africa. 10 champion teams from 6 countries will battle in this tournament which will last till 26th September. Millions of cricket fans from all over the world will be watching the event live on TV as well as other media. Here are some tips to watch Champions League 2010 live:
Watch CLT20 2010 live On TV: ESPNStar is official broadcaster of the event. Star Cricket will be showing CLT20 live in India. Check out more TV channels showing live.
Watch CLT20 2010 Live on internet : Unlike the IPL 2010, I have not found any free (legal) ways to watch the CLT20 live. However, paid options are available for specific regions. Those who are in USA can check willow. TV for the live packages of the tournament.
Live Scores from CLT20 2010: There are many sites showing live scores and commentary of Champions league. Cricinfo.com is the best option for me. You can also check out merinews.com - the official site, espnstar.com, cricket nirvana.com and many other sites.
Watch highlights of CLT20 : You can watch the highlights of merinews.com for free. Videos section of official site will be putting those online. I think ESPNStar will also show the highlights on their media player section.
Breaking News! The cricket fever will be back soon, as the second edition of the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) will begin on September 10 in South Africa. Airtel is the official sponsor of this tournament.
Three tea
Group A : Chennai Super Kings (India), Warriors (South Africa), Victoria Bushrangers (Australia), Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka), Central Stags (New Zealand).
Group B: Mumbai Indians (India), Highveld Lions (South Africa), South Australian Redbacks (Australia), Royal Challengers Bangalore (India), Guyana (West Indies).
Champions League Twenty20 Schedule & Fixture:
Sept 10 (9 PM IST) - Mumbai Indians vs Highveld Lions - Johannesburg
Sept 11 (5 PM IST) - Warriors vs Wayamba - Port Elizabeth
Sept 11 (9 PM IST) - Central Stags vs CSK - Durban
Sept 12 (5 PM IST) - Highveld Lions vs Redbacks - Centurion
Sept 12 (9 PM IST) - RCB vs Guyana - Centurion
Sept 13 (9 PM IST) - Victoria Bushrangers vs Warriors - Port Elizabeth
Sept 14 (9 PM IST) - Mumbai Indians vs Redbacks - Durban
Sept 15 (5 PM IST) - Central Stags vs Victoria Bushrangers - Centurion
Sept 15 (9 PM IST) - CSK vs Wayamba
Sept 16 (9 PM IST) - Mumbai Indians vs Guyana - Durban
Sept 17 (9 PM IST) - Redbacks vs RCB - Durban
Sept 18 (5 PM IST) - Warriors vs Central Stags - Port Elizabeth
Sept 18 (9 PM IST) - CSK vs Victoria Bushrangers - Port Elizabeth
Sept 19 (5 PM IST) - Highveld Lions vs Guyana - Johannesburg
Sept 19 (9 PM IST) - Mumbai Indians vs RCB - Durban
Sept 20 (9 PM IST) - Victoria Bushrangers vs Wayamba - Centurion
Sept 21 (5 PM IST) - Redbacks vs Guyana - Johannesburg
Sept 21 (9 PM IST) - Highveld Lions vs RCB - Johannesburg
Sept 22 (5 PM IST) - Wayamba vs Centra Stags - Port Elizabeth
Sept 22 (9 PM IST) - CSK vs Warriors - Port Elizabeth
Sept 24 (9 PM IST) - 1st Semifinal - Durban
Sept 25 (9 PM IST) - 2nd Semifinal - Centurion
Sept 26 (9 PM IST) - FINAL - Johannesburg
Airtel CLT20 Teams
Central Stags (New Zealand):
Jamie How (C), Michael Mason, Mitchell McClenaghan, Brad Patton, George Worker, Matthew Sinclair, Peter Ingram, Adam Milne, Brandon Diamanti, Doug Bracewell, Ben Wheeler, K. N. Barnett, Seth Rance, Bevan Griggs, Tim Weston.
Chennai Super Kings (India):
MS Dhoni (C), Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Douglas Bollinger, Shadab Jakati, Muttiah Muralitharan, S. Badrinath, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Anirudha Srikanth, Thilan Thushara, Albie Morkel, Joginder Sharma.
Guyana (West Indies):
R Sarwan (C), Devindra Bishoo, Esaun Crandon, Steven Jacobs, S. Chattergoon, Travis Dowlin, Assad Fudadin, Richard Ramdeen, Royston Crandon, Narsingh Deonarine, Jonathan Foo, Christopher Barnwell, Lennox Cush, Paul Wintz, Derwin Christian.
Highveld Lions (South Africa):
Alviro Peterson (C), Craig Alexander, Ethan O'Reilly, Neil McKenzie, Jonathan Vandiar, Vaughn van, Jaarsveld, Shane Burger, Richard Cameron, Werner Coetsee, Cliffie Deacon, Zander de Bruyn, Robert Frylinck, Aaron Phangiso, Jean Symes, Thami Tsolekile.
Mumbai Indians (India):
Sachin Tendulkar (C), Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Ali Murtuza, Shikhar Dhawan, Jean Paul Duminy, Saurabh Tiwary, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Ryan McLaren, Kieron Pollard, Rajagopal Sathish, Aditya Tare.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (India):
Anil Kumble (C), Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Nayan Doshi, Dale Steyn, Rahul Dravid, Manish Pandey, Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, Dillon du Preez, Balachandra Akhil, Jacques Kallis, Cameron White, Robin Uthappa.
South Australian Redbacks (Australia):
Michael Klinger (C), Cullen Bailey, Peter George, Jake Haberfield, Gary Putland, Shaun Tait, Cameron Borgas, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Harris, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Chris Duval, Aaron O'Brien, Tim Ludeman, Graham Manou.
Victorian Bushrangers (Australia):
David Hussey (C), Shane Harwood, Bryce McGain, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Aaron Finch, Brad Hodge, Rob Quiney, John Hastings, Andrew McDonald, Glenn Maxwell, Ryan Carters, Matthew Wade.
Warriors (South Africa):
David Jacobs (C), Nicky Boje, Juan Theron, Makhaya Ntini, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Garnett Kruger, Lyall Meyer, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Craig Thyssen, Arno Jacobs, Jon-Jon Smuts, Johan Botha, Justin Kreusch, Mark Boucher.
Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka):
Jehan Mubarak (C), Thisara Perera, Chanaka Welagedara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, K. Lokuarachchi, Isuru Udana, Mahela Udawatte, Jeewantha Kulatunga, Mahela Jayawardene, D. Hunukumbura, Farveez Maharoof, S. Karunanayake, Sameera de Zoysa, Kusal Janith Perera.
AMIDST THE match fixing drama being played out in international cricket, the Airtel Champions League is all set to give the fans some respite from unsavoury allegations and dish out some top quality cricket. With hardly a week to go for Champions League T20 to begin, the teams have started to land in South Africa but they are also suffering a peculiar handicap as some of the key players will be missing in action due to various reasons.
The Central Stags from New Zealand landed in Johannesburg Thursday evening while the matches get underway from next Friday. On the first day of the tournament, Mumbai Indians will be pitched against Highveld Lions from South Africa at the Wanderers which is also Lions' home turf.
However, Stags will be devoid of their two important players, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram. Taylor has opted to play for his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore while Oram is recuperating an injured knee. Central Stags being the New Zealand champions has previously won HRV Cup, when with the help of Taylor they managed to crush Auckland. Taylor had smashed 80 off 30 balls. Stags play against IPL-3 winners Chennai Super Kings at Kingsmead in Durban.
Stags are the second team that has arrived in South Africa after Mumbai Indians. The latter have been put up in Durban.
Post the spot fixing scandal that has taken the cricketing world by storm, the Indian IPL franchises are under a lot of pressure as they were not able to put up a good show in the previous versions of this tournament. Royal Challengers Bangalore will miss key players like Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan and same goes with Chennai Super Kings as they will have to face the opponents without Andrew Flintoff.
On the more glamorous front, Champions League T20 roped in Indian mega star Amitabh Bachchan as their brand ambassador. The promotion has already created a stir amongst the people and they cannot stop raving about it.