Arun Dhumal hints at return of Champions League T20, reveals BCCI’s fresh stand on Indians in overseas leagues

A major twist could be on the cards for global franchise cricket, as the Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Arun Dhumal, has dropped a huge hint about the possible revival of the much-hyped Champions League T20. Nearly a decade after it was shelved, the high-voltage inter-league tournament could be back in action to thrill the global audiences.

The Champions League T20 was dropped from the schedule in 2014 due to poor timing and scheduling chaos. In this tournament, top T20 teams from around the world, especially domestic teams, take part, and it might just rise from the ashes if the cricket calendar allows.

IPL chairman drops massive hint on Champions League T20's return after a decade

With the IPL stronger than ever and franchise leagues booming across the world, Dhumal said that the idea of pitting the best of the best once again is now a real possibility. However, the IPL chairman made it clear that the return of Champions League T20 is only possible if it gets a window.

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Arun Dhumal was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “It was done before the opportune time for that kind of event. I would not say no to anything, but everything depends on whether we have an availability of time… If it creates value for cricket on a global stage, definitely we can look at that.”

Meanwhile, eight out of ten IPL franchises now have stakes in overseas T20 leagues, including South Africa’s SA20, England’s The Hundred, and the West Indies’ Caribbean Premier League.

IPL Boss proud of helping other leagues, but no foreign T20s for Indian stars

Despite this growing global influence, the IPL chairman made it clear that this won’t affect the BCCI’s current stance on the Indian players, who are not allowed to take part in the foreign leagues until they retire.

However, Dhumal said that he is really proud of how its franchises are helping spread the game worldwide. He stated, “We are very happy with the contributions that our franchises, enterprises, and companies have done to grow this game across the globe.

India being in this leadership position and cricket being a religion for Indians, it is our paramount duty to make sure that India's contribution in terms of growing the game across the globe remains. We are very happy with that.”

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No overseas leagues for Indian stars, says Arun Dhumal

Dhumal made it clear that the IPL will remain exclusive, and there are no current plans to let Indian men's players take part in other short-format leagues.

He signed off by saying, “IPL being a premium tournament, that exclusivity would definitely be there… There is nothing that has been discussed so far. Going forward, in case there's scope, then before we arrive at some decision, we have to take all of these considerations and then take a call on this.”

Presently, an Indian men's player in any capacity associated with the BCCI is not allowed to play in the foreign leagues. If they wish to take part in the overseas leagues, they must retire from Indian cricket, including IPL, and the BCCI is very firm on its stance despite global calls for changing the rule.