The IPL Governing Council have taken a number of decisions with regard to the upcoming 2012 season.

LEAGUE FORMAT

The 2012 season will revert to the home and away format, with each of the nine franchises playing 16 matches. There will be four Play-off matches - a total of 76 matches. The season will commence in Chennai on Wednesday, 4 April 2012.

The Play-off matches will be held in Bangalore and Chennai, with the final to be played in Chennai on Sunday, 27 May 2012.

For the 2012 & 2013 seasons, the maximum squad size will be increased to 33, and the cap on the number of overseas players in the squad increased to 11. The regulation that only 4 overseas players may be in the playing XI is unchanged.

Latest News: Kohchi Tuskers have pulled out of the league and Pune have lost their major sponsor, Watch this space.

Auction News

Chennai Super Kings made the biggest impact in the player auctions paying an amazing $2 million for all rounder Ravindra Jadeja. This was one of the few times that bidding went to a tie break with Deccan Chargers also bidding $2million CSK proved lucky in the secret tie break bid.

Ex Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, incidentally the now disbanded KTK captain last season, was also a big draw going to Delhi Daredevils for $1.4 million

New Zealand wicketkeeper/batsman Brendon McCullum was bought for $900,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Deccan Chargers managed to pick up Indian stumper Parthiv Patel for $650,000

RC Bangalore bought Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan for $220,000 they also paid $1million for Indian paceman Vinay Kumar

Mumbai Indians bought Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson for $300,000 also picked up South Africa's veteran opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs

Delhi Daredevils bought West Indies Andre Russell fetched $450,000

Rajasthan Royals picked up the bargain of the auctions with Sri Lankan wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Chandimal who bought him at his base price of $50,000. they also picked up Australian batsman Brad Hodge

Kolkata Knight Riders bought West Indian spinner Sunil Narine for $700,000

Kings XI Punjab bought Off-spinner Ramesh Powar for $160,000

A total of 146 players went under the hammer with a purse of $16.94 million between the eight teams. Pune Warriors failed to show which was no surprise following Sahara's decision to give up on the franchise's ownership.

Unsold players in the auction included India's VRV Singh, Englishmen Luke Wright, Owais Shah and Graeme Swann, Bangladeshi Tamim Iqbal, Australian pacer Peter Siddle, South Africans Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Justin Kemp and Vernon Philander, Sri Lankan Upul Tharanga, West Indians Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul, New Zealander Tim Southee and big hitting Irishman Kevin O'Brien.