Sachin

Calcutta: Sachin Tendulkar, who has retired from the IPL, and Rahul Dravid, who has indicated the upcoming Champions League would be his last tournament, have been named in the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals squads for the Twenty20 event.

A Faisalabad Wolves squad has also been announced, in an indication of the Pakistan side’s probable participation in the qualifying stage of the league.

Kumar Sangakkara is the only player who hasn’t preferred his IPL franchise for the tournament among the 12 wanted by two sides, and has decided to play for his home side Kandurata Maroons.

Dwayne Bravo (CSK), Kevon Cooper (RR), Kieron Pollard (MI), Faf du Plessis (CSK), Albie Morkel (CSK), Chris Morris (CSK), Nathan Coulter (MI), Michael Hussey (CSK), Mitchell Johnson (MI), Shane Watson (RR) and Thisara Perera (SH) have all chosen to play for their IPL franchises.

“Players who were named by more than one team were asked to select which team they were going to play for. Teams were then allowed to replace any player that withdrew from their squad and elected to play for another side,” Dean Kino, a CLT20 governing council member and director of legal and business affairs, said.

Lasith Malinga will not be playing because of personal reasons.

Group A includes Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Lions, Perth Scorchers and Qualifier 1 while Group B has Chennai Super Kings, Brisbane Heat, Titans, Trinidad & Tobago and Qualifier 2.

Otago Volts, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Faisalabad Wolves and Kandurata Maroons will play the qualifiers beginning on September 17 in Hyderabad, with the top two sides advancing to the main draw starting September 21 in Jaipur and to be played across Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi.

Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will kick start the 2013 CLT20 with a Group A match in Jaipur on September 21 in a tournament which will witness the world’s 12 best domestic teams fighting it out for the coveted prize.

A total of 29 matches will be played.