Champions League Final to be Played in Hyderabad

Mumbai: The opening game of the Champions Twenty20 League, between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Cape Cobras, will be held in Bangalore while the final will be played in Hyderabad on October 23.

The 12 teams will be divided into four groups of three each with IPL runners-up Bangalore grouped with Cape Cobras and Otago, while IPL champions Deccan Chargers grouped with Stanford 20/20 winners Trinidad & Tobago and the runners-up of England's Twenty20 Cup.

The top two teams will qualify for the second round where two groups of four each will compete in a round-robin league. The top four teams will make it to the semi-finals, which will be played in New Delhi, on October 21, and Hyderabad, on October 22. A total of 23 matches will be played over 16 days in these three venues.

Telecom service providers Airtel have signed up for the tournament as title sponsors for five years starting 2009. According to industry sources the deal is worth Rs200 crore (US$ 41 million approx).

Group A - Deccan Chargers, Trinidad & Tobago and Runners-up of England's Twenty20 Cup
Group B - Eagles, New South Wales and Winner of England's Twenty20 Cup
Group C - Royal Challengers Bangalore, Cape Cobras and Otago
Group D - Delhi Daredevils, Wayamba and Victoria

October-2009

• Thu 08 (8pm) - Group C - Royal Challengers Bangalore v Cape Cobras at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Fri 09 (4pm) - Group B - Eagles v New South Wales at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Fri 09 (8pm) - Group D - Delhi Daredevils v Victoria at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Sat 10 (4pm) - Group C - Cape Cobras v Otago at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Sat 10 (8pm) - Group A - Deccan Chargers v TBC at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Sun 11 (4pm) - Group B - New South Wales v TBC at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Sun 11 (8pm) - Group D - Delhi Daredevils v Wayamba at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Mon 12 (4pm) - Group A - TBC v Trinidad & Tobago at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Mon 12 (8pm) - Group C - Royal Challengers Bangalore v Otago at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Tue 13 (4pm) - Group D - Victoria v Wayamba at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Tue 13 (8pm) - Group B - Eagles v TBC at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Wed 14 (8pm) - Group A - Deccan Chargers v Trinidad & Tobago at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Thu 15 (8pm) - Group F - C1 v D2 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Fri 16 (4pm) - Group E - A2 v B2 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Fri 16 (8pm) - Group E - A1 v B1 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Sat 17 (4pm) - Group F - C2 v D2 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Sat 17 (8pm) - Group F - C1 v D1 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
• Sun 18 (4pm) - Group E - A2 v B1 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Sun 18 (8pm) - Group E - A1 v B2 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Mon 19 (8pm) - Group F - C2 v D1 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Wed 21 (8pm) - 1st semi-final - F2 v E1 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
• Thu 22 (8pm) - 2nd semi-final - F1 v E2 B at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
• Fri 23 (8pm) - Final - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad