Champions League 2010

Super Kings take on Stags in opener Wednesday, Jun 30 2010 Chennai: Chennai Super Kings, the 2010 Indian Premier League champions, will take on their New Zealand counterparts, Central Stags, in their opening fixture on September 11, in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament at Durban, South Africa. According to the groupings and schedule released, the Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are in Group A of the 10-team competition to be held from September 10 to 26, along with Warriors Eleven (Sri Lanka), Warriors (South Africa) and Victorian Bushrangers (Australia) besides of course the Central Stags. The other two Indian qualifiers, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore are in Group B that also includes South Australian Redbacks (Australia), Higveld Lions (South Africa) and the Caribbean champions who will be known on completion of the West Indies domestic T20 tournament in late July. The Super Kings match schedule is: September 11: vs Central Stags (New Zealand) at Durban (9 pm IST) September 15: vs Wayamba Elevens (Centurion, 9 pm). September 18: vs Victorian Bushrangers (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm) September 22: vs Warriors (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm) All matches throughout the tournament will be broadcast during prime time in India, starting at 5 pm or 9 pm IST The 10 competing teams have been divided into two groups of five for a round robin phase before the top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, the Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians, runners-up at the 2010 IPL, will take on Higveld Lions on September 11 at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The Wanderers will also host the final. Durban and Centurion have been awarded the semi-finals on September 24 and 25, respectively, with the final to be played at the Wanderers on Sunday, September 26. The groupings: Group A: Chennai Super Kings (2010 IPL Champions), Victoria (Australia), Warriors (South Africa), Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka) and Central Stags (New Zealand). Group B: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, South Australian Redbacks (Australia), Higveld Lions (South Africa) and West Indies champions. Play in Group A starts on Saturday, September 11 in Port Elizabeth with virtual international-strength clashes between the Warriors and Wayamba followed by Chennai Super Kings vs Central Stags game in Durban later that day. A number of players have qualified to play for two or more teams, including Jacques Kallis (Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mark Boucher (Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore), Makhaya Ntini (Warriors and Chennai Super Kings), Kieron Pollard (South Australian Redbacks and Mumbai Indian), Dwayne Bravo (Victorian Bushrangers and Mumbai Indian) and Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers and Royal Challengers Bangalore). New Zealand’s Ross Taylor has become the first player in CLT20’s short history to qualify for three teams - Central Stags, Victorian Bushrangers and Royal Challengers Bangalore. If Trinidad and Tobago emerge as champions of the West Indies Cricket Board’s domestic Twenty20 competition, then Pollard and Bravo will also join Taylor with three options for the tournament. As was the case in 2009, if a player is selected to play for an ‘away’ team rather than his ‘home’ team (the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket), the ‘away’ team must pay USD 200,000 compensation to the ‘home’ team. ‘Away’ teams are not eligible for compensation if a player chooses to play for his ‘home’ team. The full schedule (IST): September 10: Mumbai Indians vs Highveld Lions (Johannesburg, 9 pm). September 11: Warriors vs Wayamba Elevens (Port Elizabeth, 5 pm); Chennai Super Kings vs Central Stags (Durban, 9 pm). September 12: Highveld Lions vs South Australian Redbacks (Centurion,5 pm); Royal Challengers Bangalore vs TBC (West Indies champions, Centurion, 9 pm). September 13: Warriors vs Victorian Bushrangers (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm). September 14: Mumbai Indians vs South Australian Redbacks (Durban, 9.30 pm). September 15: Victorian Bushrangers vs Central Stags (Centurion, 5 pm); Chennai Super Kings vs Wayamba Elevens (Centurion, 9 pm). September 16: Mumbai Indians vs TBC (Durban, 9 pm). September 17: South Australian Redbacks vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (Durban, 9 pm). September 18: Warriors vs Central Stags (Port Elizabeth, 5 pm); Chennai Super Kings vs Victorian Bushrangers (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm). September 19: Highveld Lions vs TBC (Johannesburg, 5 pm); Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (Durban, 9 pm). September 20: Victorian Bushrangers vs Wayamba Elevens (Centurion, 9 pm). September 21: South Australian Redbacks vs TBC (Johannesburg, 5 pm); Highveld Lions vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (Johannesburg, 9 pm). September 22: Wayamba Elevens vs Central Stags Port Elizabeth (5 pm); Chennai Super Kings vs Warriors (Port Elizabeth, 9 pm). September 23: Rest Day. September 24: Semi-final 1, 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B (Durban 9 pm). September 25: Semi-final 2, 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A (Centurion, 9 pm). September 26: Final (Johannesburg, 9 pm).