Explained | How the new 10-team IPL format works

The dates for the Indian Premier League are all but official, with reports flying in the Indian media that the coveted tournament will begin on March 26, 2022. A 10-team affair this season, IPL will take a different route than usual dividing the teams into two groups.

The IPL media advisory suggests that each team will play the same number of matches (14) as it did in the earlier editions of the group stage. This got netizens scratching their heads as to how it was possible, and what could possibly be the format of this edition.

While it is not rocket science, IPL has come up with a little complex method for its 2022 edition to accommodate the league in just 74 matches, spread across two months.

Here is a step by step guideline of how the format works

  • 10 teams are divided into 2 groups of five. 

For example, the first group might house MI, KKR, RR, DC and LSG, while the other one will have the remaining 5 - CSK, SRH, RCB, PBKS, GT.

  • Teams will play 2 games against opponents of their own group. Play 2 games against one opponent of the other group and then play 1 game against the remaining 4 opponents in the other group.
  • Teams will play 14 games in their group stage before moving into the playoffs.
  • The league phase will have 70 games and playoffs will have 4 games.



While the format is not ideal and one would like the teams to play each other twice before heading into the playoffs phase of the tournament, this does allow the IPL to make the best of the window granted in the ICC FTP calendar.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 26 March and will run till May 29. Maharashtra will host majority part of the tournament, with 70 matches divided in four of its stadiums - DY Patil, Wankhede, Brabourne and MCA Stadium in Pune. The venue for the playoffs phase has not been decided yet, but if situation permits, the final phase of the tournament could possibly be shifted to Ahmedabad.

The 2022 edition will be a big one for IPL. It is being speculated that the fans have seen the last of mega-auctions and IPL might ask their respective franchises to shift to a self-sustaining model while keeping the smaller auctions alive.




Discover more
Top Stories
news

IPL 2022 to have 70 league matches across four venues

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the Indian Premier League will have 70 league games that will be played across four venues in Mumbai and Pune. The venues for the playoffs will be decided later on. It was already speculated that the tournament will start on March 26, Saturday, which will give the broadcasters a favourable window to begin the tournament with a double-header on the second day. The governing body has confirmed the same and finalised the date for the final as well. Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host 20 matches while 15 matches will take place at CCI. The DY Patil Stadium will have 20 games and 15 clashes will be held in Pune’s MCA International Stadium. “The IPL Governing Council at its meeting held yesterday made the following key decisions regarding the TATA IPL 2022 Season. The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League will be played in a bio-secure environment at a single hub to avoid air travel which is considered as a major threat for the spread of COVID-19 infection, thereby affecting the players and the League/matches,” an official release from IPL read. “The tournament will kickstart from 26th March, 2022 and the final will be played on 29th May, 2022. A total of 70 league matches will be played across four international standard venues in Mumbai and Pune. The venue for the playoff matches will be decided later,” it added. The 10 teams have been divided into two groups and each team will play 14 games in the group stage. The breakdown is such that each team will play two games against opponents of their own group and play 2 games against one opponent in the other group. This will make 10 matches in total and for the rest 4 matches, they will square off once against the last 4 teams of the other group. “Each team will play twice with the teams in their group and with the team in the same row in the second group. With the rest of the teams in the second group, they will play only once during the season.”