The IPL will expand for the third edition in 2010 and returns to India after moving to South Africa this year.
More games in 2010 IPL as competition returns to India
The Indian Premier League will expand for the third edition in 2010, and will return to India after moving to South Africa this year for security reasons.
The lucrative Twenty20 competition will again feature the eight franchises, and in 2010 it will run from March 12 until April 25.
Although the competition will last about the same time as last year, the total number of games played will increase to 60 this time around, with the addition of a play-off for third place between the two losing semi-finalists.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi announced the details of the competition, saying that defending champions Deccan Chargers will host the Kolkata Knight Riders in Hyderabad in the opening fixture.
"There will be 94 games in all with each franchise playing 18 preliminary matches, instead of 14 games as in the past," Modi said.
"But the window of 45 days would remain more or less the same. We are in discussions with the ICC on that."
Transfer window
Modi also revealed the transfer window will open on December 15 and close on January 5 - the same as the last edition - while four new venues will be used this time around.
The Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab have opted to play their home matches at an additional venue apart from their existing home ground, with Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam, Ahmedabad and Dharamsala all added.
The 2010 edition will end just five days before the World Twenty20 opens in the Caribbean on April 30, while the first two days also clashes with the hockey World Cup being held in New Delhi.
Players from the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, who have returned to mainstream cricket under the amnesty scheme, will be allowed to play - subject to approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The BCCI is expected to ratify the decision at a working committee meeting later this week.
Details of the auction will be decided later in consultation with the franchisees, with all international players now having to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from their home board to participate in the IPL.
Respect
"This means that players will have to respect their country's commitments under the ICC's future tours programme," Modi added.
"The IPL respect the sanctity of the FTP - and players, both current and retired, would have to obtain NOCs for two years in order to close the loop of players refusing to sign contracts with the boards."
The governing council have also decided to expand the IPL from the current eight teams to 10 teams for the fourth edition in 2011 - when the franchisees for all teams will be auctioned afresh.
The players too will go under the auction hammer and then contracted by the teams for a period of three years.
The cap for the number of foreign players, however, remains at 10 per team - and four in the playing XI for each match.
