The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) was a popular cricket tournament held between 2009 and 2014. It brought together the top T20 teams from various countries, including India, Australia, South Africa, and others. The idea was to find the best T20 club team in the world, just like football’s UEFA Champions League.
Teams from leagues like the IPL, Big Bash League, and Ram Slam played exciting matches. Many famous cricketers participated, making the tournament an exciting spectacle to watch. However, over time, fewer people watched, sponsors withdrew, and the schedule became too crowded; the tournament was stopped in 2015.
Still, CLT20 gave fans many great memories, amazing matches, and unforgettable team performances. It was a one-of-a-kind event in cricket history.
Now, let’s look at the CLT20 winners list from 2009 to 2014, including the teams that lifted the trophy each season.
List of All CLT20 Winners (2009 – 2014)
The first CLT20 champion was the New South Wales Blues in 2009. After that, IPL teams dominated the tournament, winning four out of six seasons. Among them, MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings lifted the trophy twice.
| Year | Winner | Captain | Man of the Match (Final) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | New South Wales Blues | Simon Katich | Brett Lee | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 23 October 2009 |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Murali Vijay | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | 26 September 2010 |
| 2011 | Mumbai Indians | Harbhajan Singh | Harbhajan Singh | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 09 October 2011 |
| 2012 | Sydney Sixers | Brad Haddin | Michael Lumb | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | 28 October 2012 |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Harbhajan Singh | Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, New Delhi | 06 October 2013 |
| 2014 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Pawan Negi | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | 04 October 2014 |
1. New South Wales Blues: 2009 CLT20 Winner
In the final of the 2009 Champions League Twenty20 held in Hyderabad on October 23, New South Wales won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted a competitive total of 159 for 9 in their 20 overs. Their top order didn’t score, but the lower middle order took responsibility.
Brett Lee shone with the bat, scoring a powerful 48 off just 31 balls, including five sixes. Steven Smith also made a valuable contribution with 33 runs. Despite early wickets, NSW managed to reach a strong total thanks to these middle-order efforts.
Chasing 160, Trinidad & Tobago had a shaky start, losing early wickets. Brett Lee struck early and dismissed both openers, finishing with excellent bowling figures of 2 for 10 in his 2 overs. Stuart Clark also played a key role with 3 wickets, while Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith chipped in with 2 wickets each. Despite a quick 26 from Kieron Pollard, Trinidad & Tobago were bowled out for 118 in 15.5 overs.
New South Wales won the final by 41 runs with 25 balls to spare. Brett Lee was deservedly named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his all-rounder performance. His impact was crucial in securing NSW the Champions League T20 title.
2. Chennai Super Kings: 2010 CLT20 Winner
The grand finale of the Champions League T20 2010 was on September 26 in Johannesburg, where the Warriors won the toss and opted to set a target. Their innings got off to a good start as skipper Davy Jacobs gave them a flying start with a brisk 34 off just 21 deliveries.
However, once he departed, the batting lineup couldn’t capitalize. Colin Ingram (16) and Justin Kreusch (17) provided some resistance in the middle overs, while Craig Thyssen added late momentum with a valuable 25 off 18 balls. Despite their efforts, the Warriors were restricted to a modest total of 128/7 in 20 overs, thanks to superb bowling by Muthiah Muralidaran, who took 3/16, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed 2/16 with his sharp off-spin.
Chennai Super Kings responded with calm and control, led by a dominant opening stand between Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey. Vijay played a composed innings of 58 from 53 balls, while Hussey anchored the chase with an unbeaten 51 off 46 deliveries.
Their 103-run partnership set up a comfortable platform for them. Although CSK lost two wickets in quick succession, MS Dhoni guided them home with a fast 17* off 12 balls.
Chennai sealed the victory by 8 wickets with an over to spare. Murali Vijay was awarded Player of the Match for his crucial half-century, and Ravichandran Ashwin was named Player of the Series for his outstanding 13-wicket haul throughout the tournament.
3. Mumbai Indians: 2011 CLT20 Winner
3rd edition final of the Champions League T20 was played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and MI in the MA Chidambaram Stadium. RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first. Mumbai Indians came out to bat but struggled early. Aiden Blizzard and Sarul Kanwar fell quickly.
Ambati Rayudu added 22 runs, while James Franklin played the most critical knock, scoring 41 off 29 balls. Suryakumar Yadav supported with 24 off 17. Malinga also hit 16 runs at the end. Mumbai Indians finished with 139 runs in 20 overs. Raju Bhatkal took 3 wickets for RCB, while Vettori grabbed 2.
Opted to chase a lower par score, RCB had a strong start, with Dilshan scoring 27 runs. But wickets started falling regularly. Gayle, Kohli, and Agarwal couldn’t build partnerships. Harbhajan Singh bowled brilliantly and took 3 wickets, including Gayle and Kohli. Chahal and Abu Nechim also picked up 2 wickets each. RCB were bowled out for just 108 runs in 19.2 overs.
Mumbai Indians won the final by 31 runs with 4 balls remaining. Harbhajan Singh was awarded Player of the Match for his 3/20. Lasith Malinga was named Player of the Series for scoring 68 runs and taking 10 wickets.
4. Sydney Sixers: 2012 CLT20 Winner
Lions and Sydney Sixers were the finalists of the 2012-13 CLT edition. It took place in Johannesburg on October 28. Lions won the toss and decided to bat first. However, their start was disappointing. The top order collapsed quickly, with four wickets falling for just 9 runs.
Only Jean Symes stood strong and scored 51 runs off 46 balls. While Dwaine Pretorius gave some support with 21 runs off 13 balls. Despite these efforts, the Lions could only manage 121 runs in 20 overs. For the Sixers, Josh Hazlewood impressed with 3 wickets, while Nathan McCullum took 3 as well.
In reply, the Sydney Sixers started strong and never looked back. Michael Lumb played a stunning knock, smashing 82 not out from 42 balls, hitting 8 fours and 5 sixes. He was well supported by captain Brad Haddin, who remained unbeaten on 37 off 33 balls. The Sixers chased the target easily, scoring 124 without losing any wickets in just 12.3 overs, with 45 balls remaining.
Sydney Sixers won the final by 10 wickets in a dominating performance. Michael Lumb was awarded Player of the Match for his explosive batting, and Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Series for his brilliant performance throughout the tournament, taking 14 wickets.
5. Mumbai Indians: 2013 CLT20 Winner
Two IPL teams played the 2013 CLT finals in Delhi on October 6. The match was between the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals. RR won the toss and chose to bowl first. MI made a strong start, with Dwayne Smith scoring 44 runs and getting good support from Ambati Rayudu, who added 29 runs.
However, the real boost came in the later overs when Rohit Sharma smashed 33 off just 14 balls, and Glenn Maxwell played a fiery knock of 37 runs in only 14 balls. With quick runs at the end from Dinesh Karthik and Harbhajan Singh, Mumbai Indians reached a powerful total of 202 runs for 6 wickets in their 20 overs.
Chasing a big target of 203, the Rajasthan Royals began their innings with a quick but early fall of Kusal Perera. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson gave hope to RR fans with a strong partnership. Rahane scored 65 off 47 balls, and Samson made a quick 60 off 33 balls.
However, once both of them got out, the rest of the team was unable to maintain the momentum. Harbhajan Singh bowled brilliantly and took 4 important wickets. Kieron Pollard also chipped in with 3 wickets. Rajasthan Royals were all out for 169 in 18.5 overs.
In the end, Mumbai Indians won the match by 33 runs with 7 balls to spare. Harbhajan Singh was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning bowling performance of 4 wickets for 32 runs. Dwayne Smith was awarded Player of the Series for scoring 223 runs throughout the tournament. This final was a complete team effort by the Mumbai Indians, both with the bat and the ball.
6. Chennai Super Kings: 2014 CLT20 Winner
In the final of the Champions League Twenty20 played on October 4, 2014, at Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and chose to bat first. They started strong, with captain Gautam Gambhir scoring a quick 80 runs from 52 balls. He was well supported by Robin Uthappa (39 runs).
Manish Pandey also played a handy knock of 32 from just 19 balls. However, Pawan Negi turned the game around for CSK with an incredible bowling performance. He took 5 wickets for just 22 runs, which helped CSK restrict KKR to 180/6 in their 20 overs.
While chasing a big total, CSK lost Dwayne Smith early, but Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina kept the momentum going. McCullum scored 39, while Raina played a brilliant unbeaten innings of 109 runs off 62 balls. He smashed 6 fours and 8 sixes, guiding CSK to victory in just 18.3 overs. Captain MS Dhoni supported him with a quick 23 not out.
Chennai Super Kings won the match by 8 wickets with 9 balls to spare. Pawan Negi was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling. Suresh Raina was awarded the Player of the Series for his all-rounder performance throughout the tournament.
Is CLT 20 Coming Back?
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to revive the Champions League T20 (CLT20) concept by launching the World Club Championship. This tournament will include top franchise teams from around the world and will have matches for both men and women.
ECB CEO Richard Gould said that the World Club Championship is “on the cards” and is another step in the world of franchise cricket. The goal is to capitalize on the growing popularity of leagues such as the IPL, SA20, The Hundred, ILT20, and Major League Cricket in the USA.
Earlier, the CLT20 was held from 2009 to 2014 but stopped due to low fan interest and business challenges. However, Gould believes that the current global interest in T20 leagues makes it the right time to launch such a tournament.
The first edition of the World Club Championship is expected to take place in 2026. IPL franchise owners, who already have teams in multiple T20 leagues, are expected to play a big role in the tournament’s success with their strong support and resources.
Conclusion: CLT20 Winners From 2009 to 2014
In the six seasons of CLT20, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were the most successful teams, each winning the title twice. Indian teams dominated the tournament, showing their strength against top clubs from around the world.
However, despite such strong performances and star players, the CLT20 ultimately failed to survive. Due to low viewership, lack of sponsor interest, and tight international schedules, the tournament was officially shut down after 2014.
Still, fans haven’t forgotten the thrill of seeing the best T20 clubs from different countries compete on one stage. There’s always a chance the CLT20 could return, perhaps in a new format.
Until then, the memories and records of the CLT20 winners continue to remind us of what made the tournament so special.
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