Champions League T20 kicks-off in Bangalore

Indian Premier League-II runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on South Africa's Cape Cobras in the opening match of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament that commences in Bangalore on October 8.

Hyderabad will host the final, on October 23, as well as the second semi-final, on October 22, while Delhi will host the first semi-final on October 21, as per the draw and match schedule announced on Thursday by the CLT20 governing council.

Three Indian teams -- IPL II champions Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils, the top finishers after the league phase -- will figure in the tournament, matches of which will be played at three centres.

Cricket Australia and South Africa, the other two founder members of the tournament, have two teams each while an equal number of teams will represent the England and Wales Cricket Board.

New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies have a team each in the tournament.

The teams are divided into four groups of three each in the first phase of the event to spot eight qualifiers for the second league phase.

The three Indian teams are pooled in different groups in the preliminary phase.

While Deccan Chargers are drawn in Group A, Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils are in Group C and D, respectively.

After the teams play their respective group opponents in round one, to be held from October 8-14, the top two teams will qualify for the second league phase, to be held from October 15-19.

The eight teams to reach the second league phase will be split into two groups of four each.

The top four teams from the second phase will progress to the semi-finals (October 21 and 22) and the winners of the semi-finals will clash in the grand final on October 23.

There will be 23 matches spread over 16 days. The days first match will commence at 1600 IST and the second at 2000.

CLT20 chairman Lalit Modi said it is the ideal tournament to "crown the

best-of-the-best in domestic Twenty20 cricket worldwide".

"It is set to provide domestic cricketers with the ultimate talent showcase, one which I am certain will inspire and motivate future generations of club, state and county cricketers, while accelerating the development of the game globally and the careers of those involved," Modi said.

Apart from Modi the other members of the CLT20 governing council are N Srinivasan, James Sutherland, Niranjan Shah, Dean Kino and Gerald Majola.

In order to simplify the logistics the teams that move into the second league phase will maintain their position from the earlier group stage.

Champions League Twenty20 Fixtures:

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