CLT20 will be tough for IPL teams: Ganguly

Mumbai: Playing in South Africa would be challenging for the three Indian Premier League teams who have qualified for next month's Champions League Twenty20, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said here on Friday.

"It (playing in South Africa) will have an impact as the technicalities will be different, planning will be different," Ganguly, who has been roped in as a commentator by ESPN Star for the tournament, said at a function here.

"There won't be too many scores in excess of 200. There will be a lot more close games and a score of 130-140 could be a winning total," said Ganguly, who led Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL-3.

IPL winners Chennai Super Kings, led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, runners-up Mumbai Indians, skippered by Sachin Tendulkar, and Anil Kumble-led Bangalore Royal Challengers have qualified for CLT20 to be held from September 10-26 in four South African centres.

But Ganguly also saw the tournament as an ideal opportunity for some young players to prove their mettle in tough South African conditions.

"The tournament will give players like (Saurabh) Tiwary, (Murali) Vijay and some Karnataka cricketers a chance to play in tough conditions. Look what (Suresh) Raina is doing after all the exposure he got from the Indian Premier League," he said.

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