Champions League Twenty20 teams and schedule 2009

Champion - New South Wales

Group-A: Deccan Chargers, Somerset and Trinidad & Tobago

Group-B: Eagles, New South Wales and Sussex

Group-C: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Cape Cobras and Otago

Group-D: Delhi Daredevils, Victoria and Wayamba

No.	Date	Match Details	Time (GMT)	Venue
1.	Oct 08	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Cape Cobras - Cape Cobras won by 5 wickets	14:30*	Bangalore
2.	Oct 09	Eagles v New South Wales NSW won by 53 runs	10:30	Delhi
3.	Oct 09	Deccan Chargers v Victoria Victoria won by 7 wickets	14:30*	Delhi
4.	Oct 10	Cape Cobras v Otago Cape Cobras won by 54 runs	10:30	Hyderabad
5.	Oct 10	Deccan Chargers v Somerset Somerset won by 1 wickets	14:30*	Hyderabad
6.	Oct 11	New South Wales v Sussex NSW won by 35 runs	10:30	Delhi
7.	Oct 11	Delhi Daredevils v Wayamba Delhi Daredevils win by 50 runs	14:30*	Delhi
8.	Oct 12	Somerset v Trinidad and Tobago TT won by 44 runs	10:30	Bangalore
9.	Oct 12	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Otago Bangalore won by 80 runs	14:30*	Bangalore
10.	Oct 13	Victoria v Wayamba Wayamba won by 15 runs	10:30	Delhi
11.	Oct 13	Eagles v Sussex Eagles win super over method	14:30*	Delhi
12.	Oct 14	Deccan Chargers v Trinidad & Tobago Trinidad & Tobago won by 3 runs	14:30*	Hyderabad
13.	Oct 15	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Victoria Victoria won by 7 wickets	14:30*	Bangalore
14.	Oct 16	Somerset v Eagles Eagles won by 5 wickets	10:30	Hyderabad
15.	Oct 16	Trinidad and Tobago v NSW TT won by 4 wickets	14:30*	Hyderabad
16.	Oct 17	Cape Cobras v Victoria Cape Cobras won by 8 wickets	10:30	Bangalore
17.	Oct 17	Bangalore v Delhi Bangalore won by 8 wickets	14:30*	Bangalore
18.	Oct 18	Somerset v New South Wales, NSW won by 6 wickets	10:30	Hyderabad
19.	Oct 18	Trinidad and Tobago v Eagles TT won by 24 runs	14:30*	Hyderabad
20.	Oct 19	Cape Cobras v Delhi Daredevils Delhi Daredevils won by 30 runs	14:30*	Delhi
21.	Oct 21	Victoria v New South Wales 1st semi-final - NSW won by 79 runs	14:30*	Delhi
22.	Oct 22	Trinidad and Tobago v Cape Cobras 2nd semi-final - TT won by 7 wickets	14:30*	Hyderabad
23.	Oct 23	Final - New South Wales v Trinidad and Tobago NSW won by 41 runs	14:30*	Hyderabad

* - Day night Match

Sehwag no longer to captain the Daredevils

Explosive opener Virender Sehwag today stepped down as the skipper of Indian Premier League team Delhi Daredevils, which appointed Gautam Gambhir as his replacement.

Virender Sehwag, who is currently treatment a shoulder injury, cited his want to focus on his batting as the reason for stepping down.

Gautam Gambhir will now guide the side in next month's Champions League Twenty20.

"Sehwag has been a source of great strength and inspiration to the team. When he expressed want to step down in order to fully focus and concentrate on batting, we respected his conclusion and accepted his request," Daredevils owner GMR's chairman Srinivas Bommidala said in a statement.

Dinesh Karthik has been appointed Vice Captain.

Virender Sehwag thanked GMR for accepting his request, saying he would now exclusively focus on his batting.

"I would like to thank GMR for their understanding in accepting my request to step down. Personally, I would like to concentrate on my own batting and contribute to the team," he said.

"Gautam did a great job of captaining Delhi and also during IPL-2009 in South Africa this year. He has shown very good leadership skills and will bring fresh power into the Delhi Daredevils," he added.

Gambhir, on his part, said he would draw from his experience of leading the Delhi Ranji team on some while captaining the Daredevils.

Kolkata Knight Riders coach to be announced by month end

Kolkata Knight Riders is likely to announce the much-awaited coach's name before the beginning their season with three practice matches with Champions League T20 teams in Gurgaon.

"West Indies skipper Chris Gayle is expected to feature in the three practice matches from October 3 to 5 but all depends on his availability," former India skipper Sourav Ganguly who is all set to return as KKR captain in IPL III, told PTI.

Asked whether the coach and skipper's names would be announced ahead of the three fixtures, the Bengal southpaw said, "Maybe... We are somewhat waiting for the announcement. But as I have said, I am more concerned about the team."

The Shah Rukh Khan-owned side has already interviewed the likes of Wasim Akram, John Wright, Richard Pybus, Dermot Reeve and Michael Bevan among the foreign prospective candidates.

In their coach hunt held at Shah Rukh's residence in Mumbai, the team think reservoir including Ganguly has also interviewed the likes of Lalchand Rajput, WV Raman, Ashok Malhotra, Sandeep Patil and Praveen Amre among others.

According to sources, the team has delayed the declaration of their coach as they were discussing about the availability of the Pakistani great.

"We will be playing three matches in Gurgaon. On Chris Gayle's availibility, it all depends if he is available in that time," he said.

"We have signed in few players and we will be signing few more. This time, we have got some more time to prepare. It's an important season ahead and we are better organised this time. We are very hopeful of a good performance this time around," Ganguly added.

The inaugural Champions League T20 will have 12 teams and will include the domestic Twenty20 winners of West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as Delhi Daredevils, who topped the round-robin stage of the 2009 IPL.

The inaugural Champions T20 League will be held from October 8-23, just after the Champions Trophy.

The 3rd edition of the cash-rich tournament will be held from March 12-April 25.

Abdul Razzaq given clearance to join KKR

The Pakistan Cricket Board gave its go-ahead to all-rounder Abdul Razzaq to sign a contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 3rd edition of the IPL.

Razzaq had met Ejaz Butt to inform him about the offer he has received from the Shahrukh Khan-owned IPL franchise and seek his agreement to play for Kolkata Knight Riders.

After the meeting the PCB chairman permitted the cricketer to join the KKR team.

Razzaq, who quit the rebel Indian Cricket League earlier this year, has made his comeback to the Pakistan side during the Twenty20 World Cup in England, this June and also played an ODI series against Sri Lanka last month.

The 29-year-old right-hand batsman was all delighted to receive the PCB's permission to join the IPL.

"It is great news for me and I'm now looking forward to giving my best for the Kolkata Knight Riders," Razzaq said.

Ricky Ponting retires from International Twenty20

Aussie captain Ricky Ponting today announced his retirement from International T20.

Ponting, who will prolong to remain the captain of the Test and ODI sides, stepped away from the International T20 format in an effort to continue his playing career.

Addressing the media, Shipper Ponting said: "After much thought and careful consideration I have advised Cricket Australia of my decision to retire from international T20 cricket."

"I have also spoken to Andrew Hilditch, Tim Nielsen and Michael Clarke and I feel this decision provides me the opportunity to continue my Australian Test and one-day career, an opportunity I am really determined about."

"As I said after the 5th Test in London, I am hoping to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible and retiring from the T20 format gives me the best chance of doing this."

"I will now have set periods of rest throughout the Australian summer and while touring which I feel will be very favorable," Ponting said.

"While I will no longer be available for Australian T20 cricket, I look forward to playing with Tasmania's KFC Big Bash team where possible and to satisfying my contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League," he added.

CA Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said: "We are very supportive of the decision Ricky has made and understanding of the reasons behind it."

"Needless to say he will be a big loss to the T20 side but it does present opportunities for the other players and leaders within Australian cricket to gain further experience."

"While we have not seen much of Ricky in Australia's T20 matches in recent times, his innings in the first ever Twenty20 International against New Zealand at Auckland was probably the best innings I have ever seen in the T20 form of the game."

A formal decision concerning Ponting's replacement as captain of the T20 side will be made later in the year.

Disciplined Kiwis clinch a thriller win in T20

Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori shared 5 wickets as New Zealand came from behind to stun Sri Lanka by three runs in a T20 international here on Wednesday.

The tourists, controlled to 141-8, hit back to keep the World Twenty20 finalists down to 138-9 in an anxious finish at the Premadasa stadium.

Jacob Oram finished with 3-33 and captain Vettori took 2-11 as Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 71 runs after Tillakaratne Dilshan's brilliant 57 off 28 had boosted them to 67-2 in the seventh over.

Jacob Oram, bowling the final over with Sri Lanka needs nine runs with three wickets in hand, dismissed Malinda Bandara & Nuwan Kulasekara off the first two balls and allowed just five runs in the over.

Ian Butler, who did not play in the previous Test series which Sri Lanka swept 2-0, took 2-29 including the main wicket of Dilshan, who was snapped up a point by Ryder.

The second T20 match will be played at the same venue on Friday before New Zealand join India and Sri Lanka in a limited-over tri-series starting here on September 8.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, returning to official cricket after two years, was plundered for four consecutive boundaries by Dilshan in his first over.

Bond, who broke links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League to be qualified for New Zealand again, finished with 0-27 in his four overs.

New Zealand's innings rotated around Ross Taylor's 60 off 45 balls after Vettori won the toss and elected to bat on the slow wicket.

Taylor hit five fours and one six in his third T20 half-century, but the Kiwis lost five wickets for 19 runs after they had reached 117-3 in the 17th over.

Taylor brought up New Zealand's 100 in the 15th over with a boundary off Sanath Jayasuriya, and celebrated the landmark by pulling the next delivery over mid-wicket for six.

Man of the Match: Daniel Vettori