Twelve elevens

IPL's poor cousin, the Champions League T20 gets underway on October 8. We give you the lowdown.

After being introduced to the world of Challengers, Chargers and Daredevils, now meet the Cobras, Bushrangers, Eagles and Sharks of the T20 cricketing world. ICC’s Champions League T20, which gets underway on October 8, sees 12 teams contesting to become the ultimate champion of the T20 format.

We know that the format has a huge fan following and that the city-centric franchisees have built a commendable fan base. However, it remains to be seen whether fans will show the same kind of affinity with teams from Sussex, Victoria and Cape Town. We tell you a little bit more about the teams which are set to dominate cricketing headlines for the next fortnight or so.

 

Deccan Chargers
Led by the brilliant Adam Gilchrist, the Deccan Chargers surprised everyone by winning the second edition of IPL. They will face stiff opposition in the Champions League and will look to people like Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma and Fidel Edwards to lead the charge for them. They have a well-balanced team and will be the front runners for the trophy.

Delhi Daredevils
Any team which boasts of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of its batting order can destroy the opposition, specially in the T20 format. The Delhi team will be hoping Sehwag has shrugged off his injury worries. Daniel Vettori’s finger spin will come in handy in Indian conditions, as well. The bowling, however looks a bit weak — but the batting department makes up for it.

Royal Challengers
The best thing that could have happened to this team was Anil Kumble becoming skipper. Leading by example, Kumble instilled grit and determination, and the team now looks totally different. With Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa within the ranks, the Challengers are a formidable unit who will mount a serious challenge for the trophy.

Victorian Bushrangers
This Melbourne-based team is clearly a favourite for the title. Having won the domestic T20 competition in Australia thrice, it comes to this tournament with a fearsome reputation. Indian fans will be familiar with names like Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Cameron White and Brad Hodge. Watch out for 35-year-old fast bowler Shane Harwood, and young spinner Bryce Mcgain.

New South Wales
This is Australia’s biggest name on their domestic circuit, and has produced great cricketers over the years, including the likes of Sir Don Bradman and Steve Waugh. However, in the CLT20 the team will be led by Simon Katich, with Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and David Warner in the ranks. Lee and Warner are NSW’s star operators in the bowling and batting departments, respectively.

Cape Cobras
Meet the T20 champions of South Africa. They have South African internationals like Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, J P Duminy and Charl Langeveldt in their ranks, and some former international cricketers like Justin Ontong. Not a team to be underestimated, they will be tough to beat.

Diamond Eagles
A team which doesn’t boast of any big names, unless you consider former South African batsman Boeta Dippenaar a big name! But the Eagles come with pedigree: they are the only South African domestic team to have won all three domestic trophies in the course of the past four seasons, and have had five trophy successes altogether.

Otago Volts
This team is from New Zealand and is captained by Brendon McCullum, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders disastrously in the IPL. Apart from McCullum, the Volts have English all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas in the lineup and will be looking to these two men to provide some spark. Not much is expected from them.

Trinidad and Tobago
The boys from the Caribbean will be looking to have a Calypso of their own in the Champions League. With a mix of past, present as well as local cricketers, they have a well-balanced team. The Bravo Brothers — Dwayne and Darren — are its main players, with the former being their biggest name. They could turn out to be the surprise package of the tournament.

Wayamba Elevens
They have almost half the Sri Lanka international team in their ranks and will pose a strong threat. Mahela Jayawardene and Jehan Mubarak will be the two main batsmen for them, while Ajantha Mendis will be more than a handful on the turning tracks of India. They also have a few youngsters who will be looking to showcase their talent on a bigger stage.

Somerset
Led by Aussie veteran Justin Langer, this too is a team of unknown quantities, barring former England opener Marcus Trescothick. The English are not known to excel in the shortest format of the game, and Somerset will have to play their hearts out to upset the applecart in the Champions League.

Sussex Sharks
The T20 champions from England have a player from India, Pakistan and the West Indies , as well as an Irishman. Spinner Piyush Chawla knows Indian conditions well and will be a tricky customer to face. The Sharks may not have big names, but could be the dark horse.