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Champions League T20 to kick start in India from 13 September
MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Chennai Super Kings, in the inaugural group match of the Champions League Twenty20 2014, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, on 17 September 2014.
India will host the sixth edition of the world’s premier domestic T20 competition from 13 September 2014 to 4 October 2014. The tournament will follow a format similar to the three previous editions, with a Group Stage preceded by a Qualifier. A total of 29 matches will be played in the competition.
The Qualifier will start from 13 September with the main tournament, comprising 10 teams, scheduled to begin from 17 September in Hyderabad.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings apart, Group A will comprise Dolphins (winners of South Africa’s domestic T20 competition), Perth Scorchers (Big Bash League winners), and a team from the CLT20 2014 Qualifier.
Group B will feature Hobart Hurricanes (Big Bash League runners-up), the winner of the domestic T20 competition in the West Indies, Kings XI Punjab (runners-up in IPL 2014), Cape Cobras (runners-up in South Africa’s domestic T20 competition), and a team from the CLT20 2014 Qualifier.
Each side will play the other four in its group once, with the top two sides from each group going through to the semi-finals.
BCCI honorable secretary Sanjay Patel said, “The Group stage matches will be played at Mohali, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Raipur. The Qualifier will be played at Raipur. The CLT20 Governing Council has confirmed the teams that will compete for a total prize money of US $ 6 million.”
The CLT20 2014 Qualifier, to be played till 16 September, will feature four teams – Mumbai Indians (fourth-ranked team in IPL 2014), Northern Knights (winners of New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition), Southern Express (winners of Sri Lanka’s domestic T20 tournament) and Lahore Lions (Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition champions).
In the Qualifier, all teams will play each other once, with the top two advancing to the Group Stage.
The top team from Group A will play the second-ranked team from Group B, and vice versa, in the semi-finals, both of which will be played at Hyderabad on 2 October. Bengaluru will host the final on 4 October.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
