IPL IV to start on April 8

The fourth season of the high-profile Indian Premier League will start on April 8 next year and will end on May 22, the IPL Governing Council said here today.

The dates were fixed at a meeting of the reconstituted five-member IPL Governing Council, headed by Chirayu Amin.

The committee also announced that players auction for the fourth season of the IPL will be held on January 8 and 9 in Mumbai.

"The IPL GC met in Mumbai earlier today, to discuss matters related to next IPL. It was decided that the players auction will take place on January 8 and 9, 2011 in Mumbai. "The IPL season will start on April 8 and end on May 22 but the opening ceremony will be held on April 7," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

Even though the statement did not mention anything about troubled IPL franchisees -- Kochi and Rajasthan Royals, but it read that only eight teams will be participating in the Twenty20 league next year.

"There will be a total of 60 matches, played by eight teams," Srinivasan said in the release.

The committee also decided that there will not be any semifinals in the next IPL, instead the finalists will be decided on the basis of play-offs.

According to the new format, based on the league standings there will be two play-offs -- play-off 1 (Team 1 vs Team 2) and play-off 2 (Team 3 vs Team 4). The winner of play-off 1 will automatically qualify for the grand final.

However, the losers of play-off 1 will get a second chance as they will take on the victorious team of play-off 2 in a prelim final, winner of which will progress to the grand final.

"The hosting venue arrangements were finalised and approved at the meeting," the statement added.