Featuring players who shone at the World Twenty20, Australia's Sydney Sixers might prove to be quite a handful for the Chennai Super Kings when the two teams clash in their opening Group B encounter of the Champions League T20, in Johannesburg on Saturday.
After their not so memorable outing in the just-concluded ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka, it will be a test of character for the Indian boys in the Champions League Twenty20, which commences on Saturday.
Nine international cricketers, including Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Brett Lee, have opted to play for their IPL frachisees instead of their home teams in the Champions League Twenty20 scheduled next month.
Had it not been for the washed-out game against Perth Scorchers, reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders could have made the semi-finals of the ongoing Champions League Twenty20, said senior all-rounder Jacques Kallis.
Auckland Aces opener Lou Vincent said the win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday was long-awaited sweet revenge after the IPL team had shunted Auckland out of the event's last edition with narrow victory.
IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Delhi Daredevils, while South Africa's domestic Twenty20 champions Titans will square off against Australia's Perth Scorchers in the opening Group games of the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa.
Rajasthan Royals were dealt a massive blow ahead of their Champions League Twenty20 summit clash as destructive batsman Brad Hodge, who injured his knee in the semi-final, was declared unfit for Sunday's match.
Images from the first Champions League T20 semi-final between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, at the Sawai Mansingh stadium, in Jaipur, on Friday.
Dwayne Smith smashed an unbeaten half century to help Mumbai Indians beat Highvels Lions by seven wickets and keep their chances alive in the Champions League Twenty20 in Jaipur on Friday.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Rajasthan Royals and Highveld Lions at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Otago Volts and Perth Scorchers in Jaipur on Wednesday.
Young Sanju Samson hit a quickfire half-century to help Rajasthan Royals register a convincing seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the Champions League T20 in Jaipur, on Saturday.
Taking part in the tournament without three of their star players, Caribbean champions and 2009 edition finalists Trinidad and Tobago will open their Champions League Twenty20 campaign against another depleted Australian side Brisbane Heat in Ranchi.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Otago Volts in Mohali, on Friday.
Images from the Champions League T20 qualifying match between Otago Volts and Kandurata Maroons in Mohali, on Wednesday.
IPL champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the teams to beat, especially in home conditions, but they can expect a stiff challenge from the likes of South Africa's T20 champions Highveld Lions and Australia's T20 winners Brisbane Heat.
Leicestershire and Somerset have qualified for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament after winning their respective England domestic T20 semi-finals via one-over eliminators at Edgbaston.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed loss of momentum due to free hits conceded as one of the reasons for his side's defeat at the hands of Highveld Lions in Champions League Twenty20 in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Half-centuries from Owais Shah and Dane Vilas were in vain as Trinidad and Tobago staged a dramatic, late onslaught to pull off a sensational two-wicket victory over Cape Cobras in a Champions League Twenty20 thriller at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Riding on Chris Gayle's blitzkrieg, the Royal Challengers Bangalore demolished Somerset by 51 runs to keep themselves in contention for a semi-final berth in the Champions League Twenty20.
With a heady mix of youth and experience in their ranks, New South Wales skipper, Simon Katich, is optimistic about regaining the Champions League T20 title, which they won in the inaugural edition in 2009.
Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson supported the mystery spinner Sunil Narine, who has been barred from playing the Champions League T20 final for a suspect illegal bowling action, saying he will return as an even better bowler.
The Federation of International Cricketers' Association is urging players to stay away from this year's Champions League Twenty20, saying the tournament has 'little or no credibility' given that prize money from last year's edition has still not been paid.
Kolkata Knight Riders left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the surprise inclusion in India's One-Day International squad for the first three matches of the forthcoming series against West Indies.
New South Wales batsman, Phil Hughes just returned from Sri Lanka after hitting a century for Australia in a Test but does not feel it will be too difficult to shift gears to T20 cricket when his side take on Cape Cobra, in Champions League Twenty20, in Chennai, on Saturday.
South Australian Redback fast bowler Shaun Tait is licking his lips at the thought of bowling on South African wickets in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), beginning on Friday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken close to 60 per cent of the appearance money earned by the Lahore Lions team during the recently concluded Champions League T20 in India paying Muhammad Hafeez and Co only $100,000 out of the $500,000 for their hardwork.
Riding on Dwayne Smith's quickfire half-century, Mumbai Indians outclassed Trinidad and Tobago by six wickets in the second semi-final of the Champions League T20 in Delhi, on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians coach John Wright feels Sachin Tendulkar's experience of playing on the slow and turning Feroze Shah Kotla track will play a crucial role in Saturday's Champions League T20 semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago.
Two aggressive and in-form teams clash in a battle of equals when Mumbai Indians face-off against West Indies outfit Trinidad and Tobago in the second semi-final of the Champions League Twenty20, in New Delhi, on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians will have to engage in a must win situation to seal the semi-final berth for the Champions League Twenty20.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is never shy of credit where it is due. And, the Chennai Super Kings skipper showered big praise on teammates Suresh Raina (84 off 57) and S Badrinath (13 off 18) despite his own awe-inspiring performance in their Champions League Twenty20 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ranchi on Thursday.
Images from the CLT20 match played between Faisalabad Wolves and Kandurata Maroons in Mohali on Friday.
Images from the CLT20 match between Faisalabad Wolves and Otago Volts in Mohali on Tuesday.
Deprived of a place in the India 'A' squads, Harbhajan Singh finds himself with limited opportunities to stage a comeback, but the out-of-favour spinner is determined to make an impact in the upcoming Champions League T20 to force his way into national reckoning.
Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves received visas to participate in the Champions League T20 in India and team manager Haroon Rasheed expressed confidence about his squad's safety in the country.
West Indies batting legend Brian Lara travel to India with the Trinidad and Tobago team for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, commencing on September 17, in Mohali. Although not a formal part of the team management, Lara, during his visit to India, will play a dual role of T&T tourism ambassador and mentor for the Red Force.
The Governing Council of the Champions League T20 tournament confirmed, on Wednesday, that the T20 cricket competition will be discontinued with immediate effect.
In view of Pakistan supporting such acts of terror, would it be right to ban Faisalabad Wolves from participating in next month's CLT20? Surely, it will send across a stern message to the Pakistan authorities. Or, should sporting ties be kept out of the equation in such a scenario?
West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard, among the most devastating batsmen lower down the order in IPL 3, is prepared to bat at any number for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) in South Africa.
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