Teams for the 2009 Champions Twenty20

The 2009 Champions League Twenty20 tournament features twelve top-flight cricket teams from seven different countries. Here’s our whistle-stop A to Z guide (actually it’s C to W) to which teams you can expect to see playing for a share of the $6 million prize money…

Make no mistake, although the bookmakers have to rank the twelve Champions League Twenty20 teams into some kind of order for cricket betting purposes (from favourites to outsiders), every single team that is participating in this inaugural competition is of the highest calibre and has the potential to do very well, and that’s exactly why this tournament promises to be so enthralling for cricket fans.

Cape Cobras
The Cape Cobras team from South Africa plays in the first 2009 Champions League T20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The team was given special CLT20 permission to call in Stiaan van Zyl at the last minute after Richard Levi broke two bones in his left hand during a warm-up match.

Deccan Chargers
After putting in a surprisingly poor performance in the first Indian Premier League tournament in 2008, the Deccan Chargers bounced back in great style to win the IPL in 2009. The Indian team is now fancied by many to win the first ever Champions League Twenty20 tournament.

Delhi Daredevils
The Delhi Daredevils team from India fared well in the group stage of the last IPL tournament and will be hoping to do even better in the CLT20. The bookmakers had the team among the first four in the betting before the Champions League Twenty20 tournament started.

Diamond Eagles
The Diamond Eagles have been playing out of their skin on their home turf in South Africa, and their fans will now be looking forward to seeing if they can put in a tournament-winning performance in the Champions League Twenty20 competition.

New South Wales Blues
Australian team the New South Wales Blues (often abbreviated to NSW Blues) are a hot favourite to get some good results in the Champions Twenty20 tournament. If you’re a fan of international cricket then you probably already knew that…

Otago Volts
The Otago Volts team from New Zealand is one of the outsiders for the 2009 Champions League Twenty20 tournament, but the Volts players won’t let that stop them giving their all. That said, the team is in a fairly tough group, and will have to play particularly well against both the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Cape Cobras to survive the group stage.

Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers Bangalore from India will be taking on the Cape Cobras in the first match of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament. The team reached the final of the IPL in 2009 but were beaten by the Deccan Chargers. Will it now get its revenge in the CLT20?

Somerset Sabres
British cricket fans will be cheering this English cricket team in every match it plays, but the bookmakers make the Somerset Sabres one of the outsiders for the tournament as a whole. Will the bookies be right or will the Sabres prove more able than the early odds suggest?

Sussex Sharks
England winners the Sussex Sharks are being offered at more modest odds than the Somerset Sabres, but the team will need to pull out all the stops if it is to get to the Semi Finals and beyond.

Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago represent the Caribbean, and the team line-up includes Brian Lara as well as Bravo brothers Dwight and Darren. The bookies have Trinidad & Tobago as the rank outsider, but we know plenty of people who are more than happy to bet against that opinion.

Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian Bushrangers are from Australia and almost all cricket fans agree that this team definitely has the form to win the Champions League Twenty20 tournament. Whether that form translates into tournament-winning results against other in-form teams remains to be seen…

Wayamba Elevens
The Sri Lankan team Wayamba Elevens is certainly accomplished, but whether it will have what it takes to survive the group stage (against the Delhi Daredevils and Victorian Bushrangers) is much more difficult to say. If it does then the Wayamba Elevens could go a long way.