'Planning to do away with CLT20' - Shukla

Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, has said the BCCI is looking to scrap the Champions League Twenty20. The issue was discussed at the board's governing council meeting in April as a result of limited interest from fans and sponsors.

Shukla said there are thoughts of conducting a different tournament in its place, and that he and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur are weighing possible options.

"Yes, we are planning to do away with the Champions League T20," he told PTI. "In place of that, we are considering an alternative league. But at the moment all this is at the planning stage.

"Several ideas are coming and honourable secretary and myself are considering those ideas. We will sit together after the IPL gets over and try and plan out something.

"At the moment we don't have anything in hand, but yes we are in the process of bouncing off ideas. When something concrete comes up, we will certainly bring it to everyone's notice."

There have been six editions of the CLT20 so far pitting the top teams of various countries against each other. India, Australia and South Africa are the primary stakeholders of the tournament, while teams from West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been regular competitors.

The major fallout for the teams would be the loss of monetary benefits. CLT20 appearances are included in IPL teams' sponsorship deals and the non-Indian teams receive $200,000.

There have been reports of the top-four IPL teams who make the playoffs this season to play a league-based event leading into a knockout stage to be played in the UAE.