The Celebrity Cricket League is back for its 12th season in 2026, and honestly, it’s always a blast. Picture this: film stars from eight different Indian movie industries battling it out in T20 matches. The games kick off on January 16 and wrap up by February 1, with the action spread across Vizag, Madurai, and Hyderabad.
Salman Khan is still the face of the league, and he brings a specific energy you can’t really replace. As for the prize money, it’s nothing to sneeze at—₹75 Lakh in total, with ₹50 Lakh going to the winners and ₹25 Lakh for the runners-up. It’s a wild mix of cricket and cinema, and the fans are in for a good time.
CCL 2026 Teams At A Glance
| Team | Film Industry | Captain | Owner(s) | Brand Ambassador | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal Tigers | Bengali | Jisshu Sengupta | Boney Kapoor | Raj Shah,Sayantika Banerjee | 1 |
| Bhojpuri Dabanggs | Bhojpuri | Manoj Tiwari | Kanishk Sheel, Rahul Mishra, Sushil Malik, Sushil Sharma | Amrapali Dubey | 0 |
| Vels Chennai Kings | Tamil | Arya | K. Ganga Prasad | Nikesha Patel, Amala Paul | 2 |
| Karnataka Bulldozers | Kannada | Sudeep Kichcha | Ashok Kheny | Shanvi Srivastava, Sapthami Gowda | 2 |
| Kerala Strikers | Malayalam | Unni Mukundan | Mohanlal, Rajkumar Sethupathy, Sripriya Rajkumar, PM Shaji, Jaison | Bhavana | 0 |
| Mumbai Heroes | Hindi (Bollywood) | Riteish Deshmukh | Sohail Khan, Adil Jagmagia, Jordy Patel | Kriti Sanon | 1 |
| Punjab De Sher | Punjabi | Sonu Sood | Navraj Hans, Puneet Singh | Daler Mehndi, Mika Singh | 1 |
| Telugu Warriors | Telugu | Akhil Akkineni | Sachiin J Joshi | Regina Cassandra, Pranitha Subhash, Adah Sharma | 4 |
Detailed Team Profiles And Squads
Below, you’ll find complete squad details for each CCL 2026 team, including players, captains, and key roles.
1. Bengal Tigers
The Bengal Tigers are the face of Bengali cinema in the CCL. Boney Kapoor and Raj Shah own the team, and Jisshu Sengupta runs the show as captain. Sayantika Banerjee is the brand ambassador, adding a bit of star power. The Tigers jumped into the CCL back in 2012, and after a long chase, finally grabbed their first title in Season 10. Now, heading into CCL 2026, they’re carrying a fresh sense of confidence.
Squad: • Jisshu Sengupta (Captain), Sanjoy, Indrasish Roy, Yousuf Chishti, Sandy, Sourav Das, Mohan, Monty, Aditya, Jammy Banerjee, Ratnadeep Ghosh, Uday
2. Bhojpuri Dabanggs
The Bhojpuri Dabanggs are the face of Bhojpuri cinema in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The team’s got some big names backing it—Kanishk Sheel, Rahul Mishra, Sushil Malik, and Sushil Sharma are the owners. Manoj Tiwari leads from the front as captain, and Amrapali Dubey brings her star power as the brand ambassador. They jumped into the CCL back in 2012, during Season 3, and have been turning matches into full-on entertainment ever since. The squad’s packed with some of the most popular Bhojpuri actors and singers—seriously, it’s like a who’s who of the industry.
Squad: Manoj Tiwari (Captain), Neel, Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua), Khesari Lal Yadav, Ram Pravesh Yadav, Vikas Singh, Jay Prakash Yadav, Vikrant Singh, Anshuman, Ayaz Khan, Vikas Singh, Asgar Rashid Khan
3. Vels Chennai Kings
The Vels Chennai Kings, who you might remember as the Chennai Rhinos, are the cricket team representing the Tamil film industry. K. Ganga Prasad owns them, and Arya—yes, the actor—leads as captain. Nikesha Patel and Amala Paul are the faces you’ll see cheering them on as brand ambassadors.
This team isn’t new to winning. They grabbed the CCL trophy in the first two seasons, 2011 and 2012, and did it again in Season 4. Their lineup is packed with well-known Tamil actors who just can’t stay away from cricket. They’re famous for playing hard, sticking together, and bringing a real edge to every match.
Squad: Arya (Captain), Adhav, Balasarvanan, Dasarathi, Jivva, Prithvi, Ramana, Shanthanu, Sharran, Vikranth, Vishnu Visha
4. Karnataka Bulldozers
The Karnataka Bulldozers are the face of Kannada cinema in the CCL. Ashok Kheny owns the team, and Sudeep Kichcha leads them as captain. You’ll spot Shanvi Srivastava and Sapthami Gowda cheering them on as brand ambassadors. The Bulldozers have been around since the very first CCL season back in 2011, and they’ve already won the championship twice. What really sets them apart is their powerful bowling lineup. Heading into CCL 2026, they’re easily one of the league’s strongest and most reliable teams.
Squad: • Kiccha Sudeep (Captain), Padeep, Ganesh. Chandan, Jairam, Karan, Krishna Ganesh, Nirup, Prathap, Rajeev Hanu, Arjun Yogi, Suneel
5. Kerala Strikers
The Kerala Strikers bring together some of the biggest names from Malayalam cinema. The team is owned by Mohanlal, Rajkumar Sethupathy, Sripriya Rajkumar, PM Shaji, and Jaison. Unni Mukundan leads as captain for CCL 2026, while Bhavana stands out as their brand ambassador. They jumped into the CCL in Season 2, and ever since, they’ve been showing off Kerala’s movie stars and their cricket skills. It’s not just about acting—these folks can seriously play.
Squad: Unni Mukundan (Captain), Rajeev Pillai, Saiju Kurup, Riyaz Khan, Siddharth Menon, Vivek Gopan, Anoop Krishnan, Arjun Nandakumar, Siju Wilson, John Kaippali, Sanju Sivaram, Prashanth Alexander, Arjun Benny, Bineesh Kodiyeri
6. Mumbai Heroes
The Mumbai Heroes are basically Bollywood’s own cricket team. Sohail Khan, Adil Jagmagia, and Jordy Patel run the show behind the scenes, while Riteish Deshmukh leads on the field as captain. Kriti Sanon serves as their brand ambassador. They’ve been part of the Celebrity Cricket League since day one back in 2011 and have won the championship trophy in 2019. The team’s packed with big Bollywood names, all of them crazy about cricket, and they pull in a huge crowd wherever they play.
Squad: Ritesh Deshmukh (Captain), Abhilash Choudhary, Aftab Shivdasani, Sohail Khan, Apoorva Lakhia, Sandeep Juwatkar, Saqib, Madhav Deochake, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Vatsal Seth, Raja Bherwani, Siddhant, Tomar
7. Punjab De Sher
Punjab De Sher isn’t just a CCL team—they’re all about Punjabi cinema and music. Navraj Hans and Puneet Singh own the team, and Sonu Sood leads them as captain. Daler Mehndi and Mika Singh bring their star power as brand ambassadors. The team joined CCL in 2016. Fast forward to Season 11 in 2025, and they finally grabbed their first title. Now, Punjab De Sher comes into CCL 2026 as the defending champs, ready to go again.
Squad: Sonu Sood (Captain), Amit Bhalla, Anuj, Apar Shakti Khurana, Babbal Rai, Binnu Dhillon, Dakssh Ajit Singh, Dev Kharod, Gavie Chahal, Hardy Sandhu, Harmeet Singh, Manmeet Singh, Mayur Mehta, Manmeet Singh, Rahul Jaittly, Navraj Hans, Jassie Gill, Karan Wahi, Suyash Rai, Balraj Sayal
8. Telugu Warriors
The Telugu Warriors are the pride of Tollywood. Owned by Sachiin J. Joshi and Suresh Babu, this team isn’t just playing—they’re making history. Akhil Akkineni leads as captain, with Venkatesh backing him up as mentor. And when it comes to star power, they’ve got Regina Cassandra, Pranitha Subhash, and Adah Sharma cheering them on as brand ambassadors.
Honestly, nobody comes close to their record in the Celebrity Cricket League. Four championships. Season after season, the Telugu Warriors just keep winning. They set the standard everyone else tries to catch.
Squad: • Akhil Akkineni (Captain), Sachiin Joshi, Sudheer Babu, Roshan, Prince Cecil, Ashwin Babu, Thaman, Nandakishore, Nikhil, Raghu, Sushanth, Viswa
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Final Thoughts: Celebrity Cricket League 2026 Will Start From January 16
CCL 2026 is shaping up to be a real spectacle, mixing big cricket moments with serious star power. You’ve got eight teams, each repping a different film industry and chasing the trophy. Punjab De Sher walks in as the defending champs, while the Telugu Warriors are hungry for a fifth title.
Every team shows off its own flair, and their fans bring the energy. For movie lovers, it’s a wild chance to watch their favorite actors hit the field and play some actual cricket. That’s what makes CCL stand out—it keeps mixing entertainment and sport like nothing else.
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