Deccan Chargers, the winners of IPL 2009, are based in Hyderabad © Associated Press Enlarge

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Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi will host the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League between October 8 and 23 this year. The cities are the home venues of the three IPL teams taking part in the tournament - Deccan Chargers, the winners of IPL 2009, Royal Challengers Bangalore, the runners-up, and Delhi Daredevils, who qualified by virtue of finishing first in the group stage.

The Indian franchises will be competing against domestic Twenty20 teams from other countries: Victoria and New South Wales from Australia, Cape Cobras and Eagles from South Africa, Otago Volts from New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago from West Indies and Wayamba from Sri Lanka. The English teams will be determined after their Twenty20 Cup ends in August.

The 12 teams will be split into four groups of three and, after a league phase, the top two from each group will progress to the second round. The top four teams from the second round will then qualify for the semi-finals. The schedule for the 23-match event, though, will be announced only on July 30.

Lalit Modi, the Champions Twenty20 League chairman, said the IPL's success in South Africa proved the club concept would be accepted by cricket fans across the world. "The Champions Twenty20 League is thus the ideal tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in club cricket from across the cricketing world," Modi said. "This time around we are fully equipped to conduct an extremely successful tournament in India and given the cooperation of our fellow cricket boards from Australia and South Africa, I am confident that the Champions Twenty20 League will truly be a global event."

An initiative of three founding members - the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa (CSA) - the tournament will have prize money of US$6 million.