IPL 2011 to be held in new more rigorous IPL format

IPL 4, which is scheduled to begin from April 8, will see the inclusion of two new teams Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Sahara Pune Warriors. In the new IPL 4, the playing format will also be changed as stated by the IPL governing body.

THE INDIAN Premier League (IPL), 2011, will be contested between ten teams with two new teams added by the BCCI, i.e., Sahara Pune Warriors from Pune and Kochi Tuskers Kerala from Kochi.

IPL 2011 will be played  form April 8 to May 28 2011 with the new format, which was announced by the IPL governing council.

The format is based on last year's domestic T20 Tournament in New Zealand. In new IPL format, there will be total of 74 matches in the IPL 4 Fixtures. Out of these 70 would be league matches and each IPL team will play at least 14 matches, 7 matches will be played at home venue and remaining at away venues.

IPL 2011's new format is as follows:

IPL 2011 Teams will be divided in two groups of five teams each. But IPL Standings table will not be separate.

Each IPL team in the same group will play two matches against each other, on “home-away” ground each, counting to 8 league matches per team.

Each IPL team will play 1 league match each against 4 teams of other group and 2 league matches home or away against the fifth team selected randomly, counting to 6 matches per team. It results in 14 (8+6) games in the league matches before the next playoff round.

All IPL 2011 league matches will count to 70 before 3 playoff matches begin, namely Game A, Game B and Game C.

Top 2 teams in the IPL points table will play each other in first playoff of Game A. Winner of Game A will go straight to the final.

Game B, 2nd playoff will be between teams at third and fourth spot in the IPL standings. Whoever looses Game B will be out of the league.

Game B winner will still need to contest in third playoff Game C against loser of first playoff i.e. Game A for entering into Finals of IPL 2011.

Then, off course, the last match, IPL 2011 Grand Finale, would be played between winner of Game A and Game C.