The IPL Governing Council met here on Sunday and decided to introduce a changed format involving a total of 74 matches during the expanded fourth edition of the twenty20 extravaganza.
"There would be a total of 74 matches in all," IPL's interim chairman, Mr Chirayu Amin, told reporters after the meeting.
"Each franchise would get to play a minimum of seven matches," according to another IPL source.
Indications are that the teams would be split into two groups in the initial phase.
Till last season there were eight franchises who played on a home-and-away basis leading to 56 matches in the league phase, followed by two semi-finals, a 3-4 placings match (played only in IPL-III) and a grand final - making it a total of 60 matches.
With two additional franchise teams added to the fray, Sahara Warriors of Pune and as yet unnamed Kochi franchise, a continuation of the home-and-away format would mean a total of 94 matches which the Council members did not find feasible.
Among the other major decisions taken today were the retention of players for next few seasons by the original eight franchises and date of the next players' auction.