After the successful conclusion of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, the focus is now shifts to the Champions League T20 2009. The tournament will be held in India from October 8 - 23, featuring 12 teams instead of the originally planned eight teams. Lalit Modi, the tournament chairman said that the venues will be finalised after the draw, which will be held in London on June 23, 2009.

The winners of the domestic Twenty20 tournaments from New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka, along with the third placed Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2009, will participate in addition to the finalists from India (IPL), South Africa, Australia and England. There will be a total of 23 matches, and the teams will be divided into four groups of three each to play on a league basis before the top two teams from each group move on to the second stage. The four top teams from there will play the semi-finals.

Teams who have booked their berth are the Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils from India, Victoria and New South Wales from Australia, Cape Cobras and Eagles from South Africa, Wayamba from Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago from West Indies and Otago from New Zealand. The teams from England are yet to be decided as the final of the ongoing Twenty20 Cup is scheduled for August 25. Delhi qualified on the basis of having topped the league stage of IPL 2009.

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place during December 2008 in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, but was later cancelled due to terror attacks in Mumbai. The teams which qualified in 2008 - Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Titans, Dolphins, Western Australia are not eligible this year.