Virat Kohli's RCB To Lock Horns With Babar Azams Peshawar Zalmi As Champions League T20 Could Finally Return As World Club Championship: Reports
New Format, Global Reach
Unlike its previous avatar which fizzled out in 2014 due to poor viewership and scheduling issues, the World Club Championship aims to become a truly global T20 league, featuring top teams from various franchise competitions including:
- IPL (India)
- BBL (Australia)
- PSL (Pakistan)
- SA20 (South Africa)
- The Hundred (England)
With backing from top cricket boards and stakeholders, this edition is expected to be bigger, better, and far more engaging than before.
Kohli's RCB vs Babar's Zalmi? A Dream Clash
The prospect of Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) going head-to-head with Babar Azam's Peshawar Zalmi has already sparked excitement online. Without the pressures of international rivalry, fans may finally get to see two of the modern-day greats square off in franchise cricket a sight that promises pure cricketing entertainment.
ICC, BCCI, ECB On Board
The project reportedly has the ICC Chairman Jay Shah's approval, while both the BCCI and ECB are already on board. An interesting detail is that the ECB wants the winners of The Hundred to represent England instead of the Vitality Blast champions, adding more glamor and international appeal to the tournament.
A Tournament for the Future
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, ECB CEO Richard Gould suggested that the tournament is more a matter of 'when' than 'if.'
'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,' Gould said.
What Went Wrong Last Time?
The Champions League T20 originally launched in 2009 and ran until 2014. Despite involving top teams and players, the event struggled due to scheduling challenges, lack of local interest, and poor TV ratings especially outside of India. Ironically, the dominance of the IPL at the time was seen as one of the reasons for its downfall, as fans largely preferred their own leagues over watching neutral franchise contests.
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