Expect CLT20 in January

Due to the tragic events @ Mumbai, inauguration of Champions T20 League was postponed from December 3, 2008. Though not seeing CL T20 inauguration tomorrow would be painfull, i honestly believe that the decision is in the best interests of the game. 

But all the parties involved in the game - BCCI, Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, Sponsors stand to lose a great amount of money if CL T20 Season 1  was cancelled. Add to that, huge interest from all the participating teams. [Western Australia wanted to come to India even after the bomb blasts]. So we can expect a lot of give and takes from different cricket boards when they meet this week to decide the fate of Champions League T20 Season 1.

So CSK Fans, are you ready for CL T20 in Jan '09?

Champions League T20 Postponed

Considering the issues rising because of India's worst terrorist attack, BCCI has postponed Champions T20 League. Considering the schedule for the next few months, we may get to see the Champions T20 League next year only. 

Chennai Super Kings Launches Kings Club

With only ten days left for the start of Champions Twenty20 League, Chennai Super Kings management team is slowly springing into action. They have started with a bang by launching the official membership programme -  “Kings Club”. The fan club was launched  today at Chennai by Mr. T. S. Raghupathy, Executive President, The India Cements Limited in the presence of Mr. K. V. P. Baskar, Operations Director, South, Aircel Cellular Limited. Adding to the excitement was percussionist par excellence, Mr. Sivamani. 

The KINGS CLUB membership programme consists of two membership levels, Senior and Junior. Membership is for a year which can be renewed subsequently and is priced at Rs. 500 for School Children(Junior) and Rs 1,000 for others(Senior). The KINGS CLUB offers its members, unique incentives designed to satisfy their priorities: 

•  Home ticket priority access & Discounts for IPL home Matches
  
• Invites to practice sessions
  
•  Welcome gift hamper with a host of goodies
  
• Participation in special events
  
• Newsletters
  
• Discounts on team merchandise available on the E-Store
• Photo opportunities with the cricket stars
  

With the Kings Club, Chennai Super Kings has extended its relationship with its fans and has provided them with an opportunity to belong to the extended family of the Chennai Super Kings. Also it makes much more sense in these days of credit crunch to bring in cash into the company by using Chennai Super Kings' Brand Name.

Enrolling in the KINGS CLUB is easy. Membership forms will be available from Friday November 28, 2008 at select outlets of Café Coffee Day and Aircel. Filled in forms with cheques attached can be dropped off at various collection centres. Within a week, membership cards will be dispatched and a welcome kit with gift hamper in 3 to 4 weeks time. There is also the option of joining the fan club by visiting www.chennaisuperkings.com to register their payments and details. 

My Take on Kings Club

Though the benefits of Kings Club is not yet clear, i think it is worth the money to buy one (I am buying one), if you plan to go to the stadium during IPL or CL T20.

News Source: Official Website

News Snippets

1. Co-Branded Credit Cards: Chennai Super Kings may soon add 3 more tie-ups to its already existing relationships with five leading brands (Peter England, Café Coffee Day, Camlin, Aircel & Reebok). As a part of these tie-ups, we may expect a co-branded credit card & CSK Branded cards, soft toys and calendar. [Source: TelevisionPoint]
2. Chennai Super Kings are favorites: South African Star Herschelle Gibbs has said barring miracles, either Rajasthan Royals or Chennai Super Kings would clinch next month's Champions League Twenty20. But I highly doubt his judgement considering the amount of time that each team has devoted for the Champions League. [News Source:  PTI]
3. Murali available for CL T20: After the recent misunderstandings between BCCI and Sri Lankan Cricket Board, there were doubts on whether Srilankan Cricket Board would allow Murali and Kapugedara to play in Champions League. Thankfully better sense has prevailed and it has been confirmed that Murali and Kapugedara would be available for the Champions League T20. Great News since he would be our major weapon against the foreign teams. [News Source: DNA]
   

News Snippets

1. Balaji is back: The Hindu writes about Balaji's astonishing recovery from the stress fracture of his lower back, his mental resilience, the advancement of sports science, and the effort of a dedicated coach. Read the whole story - Balaji is well and truly back
2. CSK Merchandise: Live Mint reports that most of the Chennai Super Kings merchandise(Peter England, Reebok, CCD, Camlin) will be hitting the stores in the first week of December. So all the fans out there, get your wallets ready.