India will be represented by three teams, Australia and South Africa will have two sides each, whereas there will be one each from West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have not been afforded an invitation yet.

Nine out of the ten teams have already qualified for the Champions League so far. The only side which is yet to go through in the one from West Indies, where domestic T20 tournament has yet to be played.

India:

Chennai Super Kings:

Won the IPL after it looked at one stage that they will not even get through to the semi-finals.

Mumbai Indians:

Played the most consistent and quality cricket in the IPL before losing to Chennai in the final of the tournament

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

A patchy IPL this year ended with a semi-final loss to Mumbai, but they beat Deccan in the third-place pay-off to win that third place in the Champions League T20.

Australia:

Victoria Bushrangers:

Winners of the KFC Big Bash T20 tournament. And easily, the most consistent team in the T20 cricket in Australia. Out of the five KFC Big Bash tournaments that have been played in the country, they have won four and been runner-up once.

Southern Redbacks:

South Australia made their first entry into the final this season after having never finished better than fourth earlier.

South Africa:

Western Warriors:

Won the Standard Bank Pro20 tournament this season with consummate ease to qualify for the Champions League T20

Lions:

Good performances throughout the league helped them get through to the semi-finals, where they won two close games against Titans to go through to the final. They lost to Warriors, but made it through to the CLT20.

New Zealand:

Central Districts:

It was Central Stags in this season who made it through to the Champions League T20, thanks to some aggressive cricket from the likes of Ross Taylor. Taylor blasted an 80 in the final of the HRV Cup to propel his side to a 78-run win over Auckland and a vital spot in the CLT20.

Sri Lanka:

Wayamba:

Wayamba made it through to the Champions League T20 again for a second year in a row after they beat Ruhuna in the final of the inter-provincial tournament. The victory was comprehensive, and much like Central Districts, brought about by a 91 by Mahela Jayawardene which meant that the Wayamba side were through.

A special mention needs to be made of the Pakistani side, Sialkot Stallions, who have won their domestic tournament for five successive times, but will not be able to play again due to confusion between what their chairman Ejaz Butt said and what he had thought he said!

Lee was missed by NSW Blues and crashed out

It was almost inconceivable at the start of the tournament. But, unless Lalit Modi comes up with a wildcard concept for the defending champions of the Champions League T20 tournament, they will not be participating in the second edition of the tournament, having already bowed out of KFC Big Bash T20 with only two points in four games out of a possible five matches.

The NSW Blues campaign had begun on a positive note and was almost akin to their performance in the Champions League T20, when they crushed Tasmania by 31 runs in the first game. The win was built around a similar batting prowess of their two openers in Phil Hughes and Dave Warner – both of whom smashed quick-fire half centuries – and captain Moises Henriques’ knock of 37 in the end.

The Tasmanian reply had begun well, what with 44 added for the first wicket off only 20 balls. However, once the first wicket fell, the rest of them capitulated to almost next to nothing to hand the Blues a winning start to their competition.

And it was not as if they were in a lot of trouble in their second game either. The Blues had batted first again against Victorian Bushrangers, and piled up another 178, but against the previous Champions League T20 qualifiers, the target fell short. Victoria had Brad Hodge, Matthew Wade and David Hussey gelling well to guide the Bushrangers to a narrow win with two balls to spare.

It was only in their third game that their wheels began to come apart, as the Western Australian Warriors absolutely bagged them with an imposing score of 198/1 in the 20 overs. This was built around the first century of the tournament by Shaun Marsh and his first wicket stand of 168 with Wes Robinson. Almost playing like they had given up even before the chase had begun, the Blues saw only two of their players getting into double figures and capitulating to 71 all out!

At the start of the Blues’ fourth game, South Australia were leading the points table with eight points from four games, who were followed by Victoria and Western Australia with four from four, while Tasmania had two from four. Both, New South Wales Blues and Queensland had two points from three games, and it was evident that this match between NSW and Queensland was a virtual quarter-final. The side winning the game would go up to four from four matches and tie with Victoria and WA for the second spot, whereas the losing team would be out of the tournament.

As it turned out, the game was reduced to a nine-over a side match due to rain and inclement weather. The Queensland innings began with an early wicket of James Hopes, but Andrew Symonds spanked a 38 off only 21 balls and combined well with Chris Simpson who took the game away with 14-ball 34. In the nine overs, Queensland had got to 110.

Any hopes that NSW would be able to make a match out of it evaporated in the first eight balls of the game, when they lost Phil Hughes, Dave Warner and overseas recruit Dwayne Smith all in the space of those many deliveries! Daniel Vettori then celebrated his first game in the Big Bash with a two over spell that cost only seven runs and that effectively broke the back for the Blues; 56/7 in nine overs.

Incidentally, this last game was watched by almost 30,000 fans, which was a record for domestic T20 cricket in Australia.

Victoria and Queensland then won their respective final games to get through to the Preliminary Finals, whereas South Australia is already through to the final and will face the winner of the Bushrangers and Queensland. South Australia, which has the likes of Shahid Afridi, Kieron Pollard and Shaun Tait in their side have already qualified for the Champions League T20.

New South Wales celebrate their Champions League victory, New South Wales v Trinidad & Tobago, Champions League Twenty20 final, Hyderabad, October 23, 2009

New South Wales Blues have won the Champions League T20 by beating Trinidad and Tobago in the finals by 41 runs. Brett Lee was the star of the game as he first rescued the Blues from trouble with a 31-ball 48 and then bowled his two overs for ten runs and picked up two wickets.

The Trinidad and Tobago skipper Daren Ganga won the toss and invited the opposition to bat first. Soon enough, the Blues were in trouble as they lost their top four for 47, and the fifth at 75. It required the partnership between two bowlers, Steve Smith and Brett Lee to add 49 for the seventh wicket and take them out of trouble. Smith scored 33, whereas Lee smashed five sixes in his effort.

In reply, the Trinidad and Tobago side went off to a start like they were chasing 200 in the 20 overs and not 160. William Perkins set the ball rolling by being bowled for a duck off the second ball, while the rest followed soon after – TT soon collapsing to 68/5. Ramdin and Pollard then went on to try and rescue the side with some lusty hitting, but with the dismissal of Pollard, the TT hopes also vanished and the NSW Blues were deserving winners.

Lee was not only the man of the match, but also the man of the series for his dazzling show with both, the bat and the ball throughout the tournament.

New South Wales 159/9 (20/20 ov)

Trinidad & Tobago 118 (15.5/20 ov)

T&T played valiantly but the mighty blues were too powerful. Brett Lee Man of the Match!

Brett Lee hoists David Warner in celebration, New South Wales v Trinidad & Tobago, Champions League Twenty20 final, Hyderabad, October 23, 2009

Photos courtesy of cricinfo

NSW the Victorious Australia Team win the CLT20 2009!

What? - Champions League Twenty20 - Final

Format - Twenty20 match | 2009/10 season

Where? Played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad (neutral venue)

Date: 23 October 2009 - day/night (20-over match)

Winner? NSW Blues by 41 runs

How much did the NSW Blues get? 2.5 Million CLT20 Prize Money

Final Match Results New South Wales 159/9 (20/20 ov) Run Rate 7.95 Trinidad & Tobago 118 (15.5/20 ov) Run Rate 7.45 New South Wales Blues beat Trinidad and Tobago by 41 runs

The second semi-final of the Champions League T20 was played between the Cape Cobras and the Trinidad and Tobago. And despite scoring 175/5 in their 20 overs, the Cobras suffered an easy loss to the Trinidad and Tobago side.

Cobras batted first after winning the toss and finally had Herschelle Gibbs playing the innings of the tournament to get to 42 off only 27 balls after having scored only one run in his last three innings. JP Duminy continued his stellar run and smashed a half century as the Cobras got to 175/5. Lendl Simmons scalped two wickets and Sherwin Ganga bowled his four overs for only 28.

The chase could have been difficult but Henry Davids dropped two catches and then Dwayne Bravo was dropped by Justin Ontong. This was enough for the T&T side to take full toll of and Bravo went on to score his first half century of the tournament to win the game for his side. Daren Ganga remained unbeaten at the other end as well, as the victory was achieved in 19.2 overs. 93 runs were added for the fourth wicket by the pair.

In the final, the Trinidad and Tobago side will face the New South Wales Blues. The Blues had easily beaten the Victorians in the other semi-final.

You can buy your tickets through the official source at Ticketgenie by clicking the links below. All times  are IST. Prices range from RS100 to RS3000.

08 OCT

• RCB v Cape Cobras
• Bangalore
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

09 OCT

• NSW v Diamond Eagles
• Delhi
• 16:00
• Buy Tickets

09OCT

• Daredevils v Victoria
• Delhi
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

10OCT

• Cape Cobras v Otago
• Hyderabad
• 16:00
• Buy Tickets

10 OCT

• Deccan Chargers v Somerset
• Hyderabad
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

11OCT

• NSW v Sussex
• Delhi
• 16:00
• Buy Tickets

11OCT

• DD v Wayamba
• Delhi
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

12OCT

• Somerset v Trinadad & Tabago
• Bangalore
• 16:00
• Buy Tickets

12OCT

• RCB v Otago
• Bangalore
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

13OCT

• Victoria v Wayamba
• Delhi
• 16:00
• Buy Tickets

13OCT

• Diamond Eagles v Sussex
• Delhi
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

14OCT

• DC v T&T
• Hyderabad
• 20:00
• Buy Tickets

• The 12 teams will initially be divided into four groups of three teams each.
• Top two teams from each Group will qualify for a four team League pool
• The top two teams from each League pool will qualify for the Semi-Finals in Delhi and Hyderabad
• The Champions League Twenty20 will involve a total of 23 matches spread over 16 days.
• The Grand Final to be played in Hyderabad on October 23
• Any more questions please visit the CLT20 FAQ

CLT20 Initial Groupings

CLT20 Starting Time?

8pm on October 8, 2009.

First CLT20 Match Between Who and Where?

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (India) taking on the Cape Cobras (South Africa) at Bengaluru.

After the teams play their respective group opponents in the first round, two teams from each group will qualify for the second League Phase. The eight teams progressing to the League Phase will then be clubbed into two new groups and compete in another consolidated round robin phase, with the top four teams from this phase progressing to the semi-finals.

CLT20 Group Stage

How do they move onto the League Stage?

In order to simplify logistics, the teams that move into the next League phase will maintain their position from the Group Stage as listed in the Group Table above.

For example; if in Group A the finishing positions on the table—after the three Group A matches — are: 1st = Trinidad & Tobago, 2nd = Deccan Chargers, 3rd = ECB2, then Deccan Chargers will continue to retain position A1 in the League Stage draw, and Trinidad & Tobago will assume position A2.

CLT20 League Stage

There will be two leagues comprising four teams each

Each team will have to play the teams in its League Group that it did not play during the Group Stage.

CLT20 League Points Table

The result of the Group Stage matches between the teams that qualify for the League Stage will be carried through to the League Points Table.

The two semi finals will be played on Wednesday, October 21, in New Delhi and Thursday, October 22, in Hyderabad respectively. The Grand Final will then be held in Hyderabad on Friday, October 23.

Official CLT20 Mission Statement?

The Airtel Champions League Twenty20 is a platform where the world's best domestic teams get the opportunity to pit their cricketing skills against each other.

Who is the primary sponsor and official name of CLT20?

Airtel Champions League Twenty20

What do the King Pins have to say?

Chairman of the CLT20 Lalit Modi said

"Never before has a domestic cricket tournament featured as many cricket superstars as the inaugural CLT20. As expected, almost all eligible international stars have confirmed their attendance at domestic cricket's showpiece event.

Picking a winner of the tournament is impossible. While some of the squads consist almost entirely of international players, there is enough high-class talent in all teams to ensure that no team enters the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 as overwhelming favourites.

With just 30 days to go until the first ball is bowled, today's announcement of the teams is another important milestone as we build towards the first match on October 8."

Dean Kino, Champions League Twenty20 Governing Council Member and Director of Legal and Business Affairs, said:

"When the Champions League Twenty20 concept was first devised by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, we set out to create a tournament that reflected cricket's global appeal and would be a true test between the best of best.

The quality of players who will line up for their respective teams, coupled with the billions of people who will follow the tournament through host broadcaster ESPN Star Sports, will do this vision justice.

A number of players, including AB de Villiers, Paul Collingwood, Dirk Nannes and Daniel Vettori will represent their 'away' teams in the tournament, highlighting the global nature of domestic Twenty20 cricket."

Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports, said:

“The much awaited Champions League Twenty20 has got teams, players and fans brimming with excitement, and the announcement of match schedules for this October’s tournament will certainly raise the levels of anticipation even higher. We are looking forward to showcasing this exciting marquee cricket property across the globe to passionate fans in the most engaging and entertaining manner.”

James Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer, Cricket Australia, said:

"Cricket fans across Australia and the world are indeed eagerly awaiting the inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20. The CLT20 is set to build on the success of the KFC Big Bash Twenty20 competition in Australia and elsewhere in a manner which accelerates the development of cricket globally. I am certain that the CLT20 will undoubtedly benefit interstate cricket in Australia and equivalent levels elsewhere, giving players at that level a chance to hone and perfect their cricketing skills when they come up against the best domestic cricketers from around the world."

Gerald Majola, Chief Executive, Cricket South Africa, said:

"The Champions League Twenty20 will electrify global audiences come October, and South African fans will definitely follow their favorite Pro T20 and Indian Premier League teams after the success of Season 2009. I am certain that CLT20 will encourage the pipeline of cricket development from the club, affiliate and franchise levels through to the international arenas. I am sure the global broadcast of the Champions League Twenty20 will ignite the passion of cricket lovers the world over."

Who has Commercial Rights to CLT20?

ESPN STAR Sports is the commercial rights holders for Champions League Twenty20 for a period of 10 years.

Who made the CLT20?

Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa

How much money will the winner make in CLT20?

The 2009 Champions League Twenty20 will offer teams US$6 million in prize money, more than any other competition in world cricket. The prize money will be shared between the teams and their players.

Who is in the CLT20 Governing Council?

Lalit Modi, N. Srinivasan, James Sutherland, Niranjan Shah, Dean Kino and Gerald Majola, together with its founding members.

Who are the Exciting Players to Keep a Watch for?

Graeme Smith, Virender Sehwag, Brett Lee, Brendon McCullum, Paul Collingwood and Dwayne Bravo.

Where can I find a schedule?

Please check the official CLT20 schedule post.

How many Teams are in the CLT20?

12

How many people within a Team?

15

When does the Champions League Twent20 start?

October 8-23, 2009

Where is the CLT20 going to be played?

In 3 venues - Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Official Champions League Twenty20 Squads for 2009?