A couple of college-going youngsters passing by the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday afternoon saw a huge media contingent outside the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office. On learning that IPL chief Lalit Modi was huddled in a meeting with counterparts from Australia and South Africa to organise the Twenty20 Champions League, the young cricket fans pointed to a BCCI sign in the corner and said, “Make that ‘Board of Control for Cricket Internationally’.”

Once the meeting held by Modi, Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland and Cricket South Africa’s chief executive Gerald Majola was over, the BCCI had pulled the carpet from under the feet of those who were questioning their authority by announcing that they would conduct the first-ever T20 Champions League along the lines of football’s Champions League in Europe. Australia, South Africa and India have confirmed their participation and Modi announced that the English cricket board would also board the wagon.

At a cost of US $ 750 million for a period of 10 years — the rights haven’t been sold yet and will hit the floor in a few days — the Champions League will be played from September 29 to October 8 this year with eight top teams from across four continents participating for a prize pool of $ 6m. The regulations of the league, business plan, governance model, shareholding pattern and other commercial aspects including the tender process have been approved, Modi said.

Six of the eight teams are Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings (IPL finalists) from India, Western Australia and Victoria (KFC Cup finalists) from Australia, and Titans and Dolphins (Pro-T20 finalists) from South Africa. The remaining two teams haven’t been named as yet while Modi said that invitations have been extended to Middlesex (England’s T20 champions), Sialkot Stallions (Pakistan’s 2007 T20 champions) and the Sri Lankan cricket board.

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