IPL to have 74 matches for next three seasons

Indian Premier League's (IPL) next three seasons, starting 2011, will have a total of 74 matches, up from 60 this year, following the addition of two new franchises -- Sahara Pune Warriors and Kochi.

There would be 70 league matches plus four play-off matches with each team playing the same number of matches (14 of which 7 would be home and the other 7 away) as in the previous IPL editions, said BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan in a release after the IPL's Governing Council meeting here.

"There will be one league table with teams divided into 2 groups of 5 teams each," the BCCI secretary said.

The IPL GC also decided to allow the original eight franchises to retain a maximum of four players, including three Indians, and fixed a salary cap of $9 million for each franchise to spend at the next players' auction set for the middle of November.

Player contracts will be for a period of two years plus a one-year right of extension by franchise.

Retention of players would result in reduced amount available with each franchise with amounts of $1.8 million per annum for the first player so retained, $1.3 million, 0.9 million and 0.5 million for the other three players reduced from its kitty.

This is irrespective of the actual player fee paid to each of these players, Srinivasan said.

If a franchise retains four players, its salary cap will be charged by $4.5 million in each of 2011 and 2012 and it will have only $4.5 million remaining to pay as player fees for the remainder of its registered squad.

The IPL has added a rider to player retention saying the franchise and player must mutually agree to it as well as the player fee to be paid for 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The IPL also fixed the salary of uncapped players at Rs 10 lakh per annum if they have not played so far or made/will make their first class debut in 2009-10 or 2010-11, at Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per annum for those who made their debut in 2006-09 seasons and in 2005-06 or earlier, respectively.

Each squad would consist of not more than 30 players, and only capped players plus any IPL player who has played more than 75 per cent of matches for his team in the 2010 season will feature in the auction.

Pune and Kochi franchises who did not participate in the 2010 season can sign upto four players from the list of players who were not a part of the squad of any of the teams in the past three IPL editions.

"However the list of players who are available for such franchise will be provided by IPL based on the registered list of players," Srinivasan said.

In another significant change, the Governing Council decided that all player contracts would be a tripartite agreement signed by the player, the franchise and the BCCI and all the contracts would be managed by the Board. Till now the agreement was between the player and the franchise only.

"A new player registration and contract management process will be detailed soon. No player contracts can be signed until then," Srinivasan said, adding the player regulations would be circulated soon to all the franchises.