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With T20 cricket setting new benchmarks with each passing day, there are talks around the return of defunct Champions League T20. However, there hasn’t been any official communication on the return date, but England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Executive, Richard Gould earlier informed of reviving the tournament, under the name - World Club Championship.
In a communication to ESPNcricinfo, Gould stated, “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.” The T20 tournament was last played in 2014, where Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the summit clash in Bengaluru. Following that, lack of viewership restricted the concerned authorities to discontinue the tournament.
World Club Championship to be played in September 2026 after nod from ICC: Reports
As per the latest developments, in ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held on Thursday, July 16, the apex cricket board has reportedly come to a conclusion with the tournament set to return in 2026. A report from Sydney Morning Herald mentioned that the members of the meeting were on the same page in regards to the resumption of defunct Champions League T20, further adding that it might be brought back in September 2026.
”Discussions were held on the proposed World Club Championship, including its window, format, schedule, etc. The CEOs of the Emirates League, Big Bash League, The Hundred, SA20, MLC, and Caribbean Premier League attended the meeting. Pakistan was also invited,” a source close to the developments informed, as quoted by OneCricket.
However, with a confirmation still awaited on the tournament’s resumption, several reports have also claimed that teams from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will not be a part of the 2026 edition. On the other hand, teams from key franchise tournaments like The Hundred, SA20, ILT20 and others will be seen in action.
