One thing is certain in this season's Champions League T20 – there will be a new champion. After the Mumbai Indians crashed into oblivion in the qualifiers, the CLT20 will crown a new winner, with some familiar faces and new teams looking to go all the way to lift that coveted title.
[Get CLT20 2014 Match 2 KXIP vs Hobart Hurricanes Live Streaming Information]
While it is a little sad to see a quality side like the Mumbai Indians go out of the CLT20 2014 so early, it does leave the door open for several other teams to make a run at the crown. As always, the IPL teams will start as the favourites, with the Chennai Super Kings – former winners – opening up their campaign against the IPL 2014 champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
It will be no surprise if either of the two teams go all the way and win the CLT20 2014 title, and neither team will want to start their campaign on a disappointing note – so expect a cracker of an opener.
Also in the hunt will be the Kings XI Punjab, who lost so despairingly in the IPL final to KKR a few months ago. They have an explosive batting lineup and a potent bowling lineup, and if they catch fire, expect some fireworks.
The other five teams that made it directly to the main draw are Dolphins and Cape Cobras from South Africa, Big Bash sides Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes and Caribbean Premier League T20 winners Barbados Tridents – the team that Kieron Pollard led to the title in the West Indies, with the skipper now forced to watch his team slug it out from home after failing to make it to the main draw with the Mumbai Indians.
The final two teams in the main draw are the Northern Knights and the Lahore Lions, the two teams that qualified at the expense of the Mumbai Indians.
The Lahore Lions have shown enough to make everyone believe they can cause a few problems to their opponents, while the Northern Knights will be the team to watch after their brilliant performances in the qualifiers, where they won all three of their matches, and that too rather convincingly.
"To be honest, we came into the tournament wanting to win games and play hard cricket," Knights opener Anton Devcich told CLT20's official website. "We had a bit of a poor day with our fielding in the first match, but we have come from strength to strength after that.
"We have got better with each game and I am really proud of the boys for working hard and putting up a good show.
"Now begins a new challenge for us. We walked into this tournament wanting to qualify first and then take it from there. Now that we have done that, we will sit down and reassess how we are going to go about in the rest of the tournament. We would not be here if we didn't think we could win it and I think we can win it with the team that we have got."
CLT20 Groups: Group A: CSK, KKR, Dolphins, Lahore Lions, Perth Scorchers.
Group B: KXIP, Barbados Tridents, Cape Cobras, Hobart Hurricanes, Northern Knights.
CLT20 2014 Schedule: Wednesday, 17 September: Match 1: KKR vs CSK (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Thursday, 18 September: Match 2: KXIP vs Hobart Hurricanes (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at PCA Stadium, Mohali.
Friday, 19 September: Match 3: Cape Cobras vs Northern Knights (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Chattisgarh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur.
Saturday, 20 September: Match 4: Dolphins vs Perth Scorchers (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at PCS Stadium, Mohali.
Saturday, 20 September: Match 5: KXIP vs Barbados Tridents (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at PCS Stadium, Mohali.
Sunday, 21 September: Match 6: Cape Cobras vs Hobart Hurricanes (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Sunday, 21 September: Match 7: KKR vs Lahore Lions (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Monday, 22 September: Match 8: Dolphins vs CSK (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Tuesday, 23 September: Match 9: Hobart Hurricanes vs Northern Knights (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Chattisgarh International Stadium, Raipur.
Wednesday, 24 September: Match 10: KKR vs Perth Scorchers (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Thursday, 25 September: Match 11: CSK vs Lahore Lions (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Friday, 26 September: Match 12: Cape Cobras vs Barbados Tridents (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at PCS Stadium, Mohali.
Friday, 26 September: Match 13: KXIP vs Northern Knights (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at PCA Stadium, Mohali.
Saturday, 27 September: Match 14: Dolphins vs Lahore Lions (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Saturday, 27 September: Match 15: Perth Scorchers vs CSK (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Sunday, 28 September: Match 16: Hobart Hurricanes vs Barbados Tridents (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) PCA Stadium, Mohali.
Sunday, 28 September: Match 17: KXIP vs Cape Cobras (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at PCA Stadium, Mohali.
Monday, 29 September: Match 18: KKR vs Dolphins (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Tuesday, 30 September: Match 19: Perth Scorchers vs Lahore Lions (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Tuesday, 30 September: Match 20: Northern Knights vs Barbados Tridents (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
Thursday, 2 October: Semifinal 1: (4:00 pm IST, 11:30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Thursday, 2 October: Semifinal 2: (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad.
Saturday, 4 October: Final: (8:00 pm IST, 3:30 pm BST, 10.30 am ET) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
