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Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi to host Champions League matches

July 24, 2009 20:27 IST

Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad will host 23 matches in the inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20, scheduled to be held from October 8 to 23.

The match schedule, featuring 12 teams, will be announced on July 30, Champions League Twenty20 chairman Lalit Modi said on Friday.

"We are glad to see the CLT20 taking shape and momentum as the year's most eagerly-awaited club championship," Modi said.

"Having had considerable experience from the Indian Premier League's success in South Africa, we believe that the club concept will slowly but surely be accepted by cricket fans across the world. The Champions League Twenty20 is thus the ideal tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in club cricket from across the cricketing world.

"This time around we are fully equipped to conduct an extremely successful tournament in India and given the cooperation of our fellow-cricket boards from Australia and South Africa and ESPN STAR Sports, I am confident that the CLT20 will truly be a global event," Modi said.

The teams that have qualified and are eligible to play in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 include IPL 2009 champions Deccan Chargers and losing finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore. They will be joined by the top league-finishing team of Season 2009, Delhi Daredevils.

Other 2009 domestic finalists and winners include Victorian Bushrangers and New South Wales Blues from Australia, Cape Cobras and Diamond Eagles from South Africa, Otago Volts from New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago from West Indies and Wayamba from Sri Lanka.

England's Twenty20 Cup finalists will be decided on August 25, 2009.

The teams will be divided into four groups of three each and will initially play each other on a league basis. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the second stage and four teams from the second stage would make it to the semi-finals.