Just days after the World T20 series came to an end, Saturday, April 9 will see the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League. The IPL has now become one of the most important sporting events for cricket fans across the world.
Naturally, the event is the sporting highlight on the Indian calendar, but it also draws a huge international audience, especially from the Middle East, Europe, and Australasia.
If you're shivering with cricket-fever, or simply want to find out what's in store, then look no further.
The Toss
The IPL started in 2008, with the aim of expanding audience reach and adding a touch of colour and glamour. Eight teams representing eight Indian cities were sold as franchises to the highest bidders.
The Format
Test cricket can sometimes move at a very slow pace so to keep things interesting, the IPL uses the Twenty20 format. Each of the two teams plays a single innings and is restricted to a maximum of 20 overs (an over is one set of six balls). To get in as many runs as possible, batsmen hit the ball as far as they can; the fast pace of the game is key to the entertainment and keeping the audience interested.
Each team plays the other twice: once at home, and once away. After the matches are completed, the top four make it through to the Qualifiers. The remaining two teams face-off in the final.
The Teams
| Team | City | Titles | Home ground | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Pune Supergiants | Pune | N/A | MCA Stadium | Stephen Fleming |
| Delhi Daredevils | New Delhi | 0 | Feroz Shah Kotla | Gary Kirsten |
| Kings XI Punjab | Mohali | 0 | PCA Stadium | Sanjay Bangar |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Kolkata | 2 - 2012, 2014 | Eden Gardens | Trevor Bayliss |
| Mumbai Indians | Mumbai | 2 - 2013, 2015 | Wankhede Stadium | Ricky Ponting |
| Gujarat Lions | Rajkot | N/A | SCA Stadium | Brad Hodge |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bangalore | 0 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Daniel Vettori |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 0 | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium | Tom Moody |
The current eight teams represent different Indian cities and operate as franchises. They are: Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
After IPL 2015, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended as their respective owners were banned from participating in the IPL for two years on alleged spot-fixing and illegal betting charges. These teams have since been replaced by Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions for 2016.
Home Grounds
The champions The Mumbai Indians are the defending champions, having beaten the now defunct, Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 final. It was their second title of the IPL series.
The Stats
| Team | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Pune Supergiants | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Delhi Daredevils | 4th | 3rd | 5th | 10th | 3rd | 9th | 8th | 7th |
| Kings XI Punjab | 3rd | 5th | 8th | 5th | 6th | 6th | 2nd | 8th |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 6th | 8th | 6th | 4th | 1st | 7th | 1st | 5th |
| Mumbai Indians | 5th | 7th | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 4th | 1st |
| Gujarat Lions | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 5th | 7th | 3rd |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4th | 6th | 6th |
About the game
The duration On average a match will last for about three hours. A single innings can last anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes. The IPL has adopted a “TV Timeout” rule, which means that teams don’t have to “rush” to complete their innings. However, if the umpire believes that a team is stalling too much, then he may impose a penalty.
The rules Each team must have a minimum of 16 squad players, with no more than 11 foreign players in the line-up. Of the 11 on-field players, a maximum of four must be foreign. A minimum of 14 Indian players must feature in the squad, as well as a minimum of six players from the BCCI under-22’s.
Check out our top 11 IPL records here.
The prize money The IPL Champions receive ₹200 million (Dh11.05 million), while the runner-up receives ₹100 million (Dh5.5 million). Third and fourth place teams both receive ₹75 million (Dh4.14 million).
The trends You can join the discussion and enjoy the banter on Twitter by using the hastags #IPL2016 and #IPL9 .
