IPL IV: 2 groups, 4 foreigners, $ 9 million cap: Cricketnext

New Delhi: Faced with a barrage of criticism for planning as many as 94 matches, the IPL governing council has proposed a shorter and crisper format for season four next year, but as sanjeeb mukherjea and rupha ramani report, there is room for plenty of confusion, and new franchise owners aren't too pleased.

Gauging public mood are keen to assert themselves in the post Lalit Modi era, the IPL governing council has proposed a formula that even the most keen follower will find hard to follow.

As reported by CNN-IBN on the 19th of August, the Governing Council decided that 74 matches will be played from 2011 onwards, and not the 94 games originally planned.

Ten teams will be divided in 2 groups of 5 each, but will be ranked overall in one league table .

Each team playing the four others in their own group on a home and away basis.

After the group stage, the format gets more complicated, each team, after a random draw of lots, will play 4 of the 5 teams from the other group once and the remaining team twice both home and away.

Though it is promised that consistency in group stages will be rewarded, the concept of play-offs doesn't look convincing in the least.

Four play-off games at the end will decide the champions of season 4.

While this is supposed to guarantee every team atleast 7 games both home and away, it also leaves room for a bizarre possibility of 4 teams from the same group contesting in the culminating play-offs!

Here is the other big decision that is bound to raise a stink in the coming days.

Though the salary cap has been increased to $ 9 million, there are enough indications that the new franchises, among others, could well raise their voices in dissent.

The existing 8 franchises have been allowed to retain upto a maximum of 4 players, with a maximum of 3 Indians who won't be put into the auction pool at all, the catch is that franchises will have their budget reduced from the 9 million limit for every player retained.

Sources say the new franchisees aren't too pleased with the decision....they will be offered the right to retain a maximum of 4 players who haven't been part of the IPL in any previous seasons, which means they have to pay high fees for players who are yet to prove their mettle in the IPL!

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