The Champions League T20 (CLT20) is set for re-launch with new name The World Club Championship in 2026, according to The Cricketer.
Designed as a bigger, bolder, and more globally inclusive competition, the tournament aims to unite the champion teams from major T20 leagues across the world in a battle for global supremacy.
Franchise champions from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, and The Hundred are expected to participate, offering fans a unique spectacle of inter-league clashes at the highest level.
The proposed tournament has already garnered strong backing from top cricketing authorities, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and ICC Chairman Jay Shah.
Notably, the ECB has expressed interest in sending the champion team from The Hundred, rather than the Vitality Blast, to represent England in the event.
ECB CEO Richard Gould confirmed the championship’s revival is nearly finalised and even hinted at a women’s version in the pipeline.
“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,” Gould said.
The format will resemble the original CLT20, but with broader participation, higher stakes, and a significantly larger global audience. Originally launched in 2009, the CLT20 brought together elite T20 teams from different nations.
However, the tournament was discontinued in 2015 due to poor television ratings, insufficient sponsorship, and an imbalance in representation, with IPL teams dominating the competition. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings each won the title twice.
Since then, the T20 landscape has transformed. Most major cricket-playing nations now have their own successful franchise leagues, and fan engagement has surged worldwide.
Countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the UAE, and the USA all host vibrant domestic T20 competitions.
In fact, the U.S. now boasts the Major League Cricket (MLC), and Guyana recently introduced the Global T20 Super League, featuring sides like the Guyana Amazon Warriors (CPL), Rangpur Riders (BPL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Hampshire (Vitality Blast), and Victoria (Australia).
Given the explosive growth of T20 cricket globally, the timing seems ideal for a World Club Championship. With robust commercial interest, a wider fan base, and high-level competition, this new venture has the potential to become cricket’s version of football’s UEFA Champions League.
