Champions League will boost club cricket, says Lalit Modi India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi on Thursday said that the launch of the league matches would lead to a rapid growth of the game at the club level around the world. Talking to media in Bangalore before the start of the Champions League, Modi said: "Launch of the Champions League definitely is going to result in growth of club level cricket. It has been there, but it will lead to a rapid growth of club cricket around the world." In the inaugural match of the Champions League, which will be held at Bangalore, the host team Royal Challengers will take on Cape Cobras. The league will witness 12 teams of which three are Indian squads, sweating it out for the trophy by contesting against world's best domestic teams. On being asked whether the tournament earnings will be donated for flood relief operations in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Modi said that they have been discussing it with their counterparts in Australia and South Africa and a decision as to how the flood victims could be helped would be known in the coming days. "The objective (aid of flood and drought victims) is yes. This is a calamity that has hit our nation and we will seriously examine it and how we can give back to the community and our people. This is something that is on the cards for discussion in the next few days," Modi said.