Calcutta: The Champions League Twenty20 meet will return to India this season and will be held from September 17 to October 6. South Africa hosted the tournament last year.

“The Champions League Twenty20 will return to India for the third time in five years in 2013 after the dates and format for this year’s tournament were confirmed by the CLT20 governing council,” said a statement.

“The world’s premier domestic T20 competition will be played from 17 September to 6 October. The tournament will follow a similar format to the two previous editions with a group stage preceded by a qualifier.

“A total of 29 matches will be played in the tournament by the best domestic T20 teams from around the world,” the statement said.

The CLT20 governing council also confirmed that the teams will compete for a total prize money of $6 million.

Trinidad & Tobago, who were the runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, have earned direct entry into the group stage this year after playing in the qualifier in 2011 and 2012.

“With some of the world’s best T20 players, they are a deserving entrant in the main draw after winning the Caribbean T20 championship for a third straight time earlier this year.”

But England teams will not participate in this year’s tournament.

“The competition, which will again feature leading cricketers from across the world and some of the established legends of world cricket, will be watched and followed by equally passionate fans,” said CLT20 governing council chairman N. Srinivasan.

THE GROUPINGS

Group A: IPL champions (India); Highveld Lions (South Africa); Perth Scorchers (Australia); Third-placed team in IPL (India); Q1 (Qualifier).

Group B: IPL runners-up (India); Titans (South Africa); Brisbane Heat (Australia); Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies); Q2 (Qualifier).

Qualifier: Fourth-placed team in IPL (India); Otago Volts (New Zealand); SLC1 (Sri Lanka); PCB1 (Pakistan).