Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) Promising a spectacular blend of cinematic star power and competitive T20 cricket, the tournament is set to thrill fans once again as it enters its 12th season. Starting from January 16 and running till February 1, the league is expected to capture the imagination of over 200 million viewers across television and digital platforms, reaffirming its position as one of the most exclusive sports-entertainment properties in the country.
Since its inception, the CCL has evolved into a carnival-like event, where packed stadiums, pulsating music and passionate fans combine to create an atmosphere unlike any other cricket tournament in India. Season 12 aims to raise the bar even further by presenting fast-paced cricket while celebrating the diversity and unity of Indian cinema.
Eight teams represent India’s vibrant film industries
This season will feature eight franchises, each representing a major regional film industry. The lineup includes Telugu Warriors and Wales Chennai Kings from the Telugu and Tamil film worlds respectively, along with Karnataka Bulldozers, Bengal Tigers, Mumbai Heroes, Punjab De Lions, Bhojpuri Dabangs and the newly introduced Kerala Strikers, bringing Malayalam cinema into the limelight.
The addition of Kerala Strikers has added new excitement to the competition, expanding the cultural footprint of the league and strengthening its pan-India appeal. With actors turning athletes and rivalries filled with regional pride, every match is expected to be entertaining on and off the field.
Iconic locations set the stage for high-voltage clashes
The tournament will get off to a spectacular start at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, where fans in Vizag will witness the opening clash amidst electric scenes. The action will then take place at the SNR College Cricket Ground, giving supporters in Tamil Nadu a chance to experience the celebrity-driven spectacle up close.
As the league reaches its conclusion, all eyes will be on the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, which will host both the semi-finals and the grand final. The Hyderabad venue, known for its world-class facilities and vibrant crowds, is expected to provide a suitable backdrop for the most important fixtures of the tournament.
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Full CCL 2026 squad:
Mumbai Heroes: Riteish Deshmukh, Abhilash Chaudhary, Aftab Shivdasani, Apoorva Lakhia, Madhav Devchake, Tomar, Raja, Sameer, Sandeep Juvatkar, Shakib, Shabbir Aluwalia, Siddhant, Sohil Khan (captain), Vatsal Sheth.
Bhojpuri Dabangg: Manoj Tiwari (captain), Aditi Ojha, Ajoy Sharma, Anshuman, Asghar Khan, Ayaz Khan, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Jaiprakash Yadav, Khesri Lal Yadav, Kumar Sudhir Singh, Manmohan, Neil, Parivar Yadav, Uday Tiwari, Vaibhav, Vikas Singh, Vikrant Singh.
Karnataka Bulldozer: Kiccha Sudeep (captain), Karthik Jayaram, Pradeep Bogadi, Sunil Rao, Darling Krishna, Rajeev Hanu, Chandan Kumar, Pratap Narayan, Karan Aryan, Nirup Bhandari, Sachin Cheluvaryaswami, Sagar Gowda, Arjun Yogi, Arjun Bachan, Manjunath Gowda.
Bengal Tigers: Jisshu Sengupta (c), Uday, Indrashish, Mohan, Sanjay, Jamie, Yusuf, Monty, Ratnadeep, Sandy, Aditya, Boney, Saurav Das.
Kerala Strikers: Indrajit Sukumaran (captain), Anup Krishnan, Arjun Nanda Kumar, Arun Beni, Bineesh Kodiyeri, John Cappelli, Prashant Alexander, Rajiv Pillai, Riaz Khan, Saiju Kurup, Sanju Sivaram, Siddharth Menon, Siju Wilson, Vivek Gopan.
Telugu Warrior: Akhil Akkineni (captain), Ashwin Babu, Nand Kishore, Nikhil, Prince, Raghu, Roshan, Sudhir, Sushant, Thaman.
Wales Chennai Kings: Arya (C), Adhavan, Balasaravanan, Dasharathi, Jivva, Prithvi, Raman, Shantanu, Sharan, Vikrant, Ashok Selvan, Satya, Bharat
punjab de sher: Sonu Sood (captain), Amit Bhalla, Anuj, Apar Shakti Khurana, Babbal Rai, Binnu Dhillon, Daksh Ajit Singh, Dev Kharod, Gavi Chahal, Hardy Sandu, Harmeet Singh, Manmeet Singh, Mayur Mehta, Rahul Jaitley, Navraj Hans, Jassi Gill, Karan Wahi, Suyyash Rai, Balraj Syal.
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