<p>Held in South Africa last year, the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament will return to India this season with the BCCI scheduling it from September 17 to October 6.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“The Champions League Twenty20 will return to India for the third time in five years in 2013 after the dates and format for this year’s tournament were confirmed by the CLT20 Governing Council,” the BCCI said in a statement.<br /><br />The CLT20 Governing Council also confirmed that the teams will compete for a total prize money of USD six million. Trinidad & Tobago, who were the runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, have earned direct entry into the Group Stage this year after playing in the Qualifier in 2011 and 2012. But teams from England will not participate in this year’s tournament. <br /><br />The qualifier will feature four teams — the fourth-ranked team from the Pepsi IPL 2013, Otago Volts (New Zealand’s HRV Cup champions), and the winners of the Sri Lanka and Pakistan domestic T20 competitions. The teams will play each other once, with the top two advancing to the Group Stage.<br /><br />The Group Stage will feature 10 teams. Group A will comprise the winner and third-ranked team in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Highveld Lions (winner of South Africa’s RAM SLAM T20 Challenge), Perth Scorchers (KFC T20 Big Bash League runner-up), and the top team from the Qualifier.<br /><br />Group B will comprise Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies T20 champion), the runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Titans (RAM SLAM T20 Challenge runner-up), and the second-ranked team from the Qualifier.<br /></p>
<p>Held in South Africa last year, the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament will return to India this season with the BCCI scheduling it from September 17 to October 6.<br /><br /></p>.<p>“The Champions League Twenty20 will return to India for the third time in five years in 2013 after the dates and format for this year’s tournament were confirmed by the CLT20 Governing Council,” the BCCI said in a statement.<br /><br />The CLT20 Governing Council also confirmed that the teams will compete for a total prize money of USD six million. Trinidad & Tobago, who were the runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, have earned direct entry into the Group Stage this year after playing in the Qualifier in 2011 and 2012. But teams from England will not participate in this year’s tournament. <br /><br />The qualifier will feature four teams — the fourth-ranked team from the Pepsi IPL 2013, Otago Volts (New Zealand’s HRV Cup champions), and the winners of the Sri Lanka and Pakistan domestic T20 competitions. The teams will play each other once, with the top two advancing to the Group Stage.<br /><br />The Group Stage will feature 10 teams. Group A will comprise the winner and third-ranked team in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Highveld Lions (winner of South Africa’s RAM SLAM T20 Challenge), Perth Scorchers (KFC T20 Big Bash League runner-up), and the top team from the Qualifier.<br /><br />Group B will comprise Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies T20 champion), the runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Titans (RAM SLAM T20 Challenge runner-up), and the second-ranked team from the Qualifier.<br /></p>