Indian Premier League

Indian Premier League is a league based professional cricket twenty20 tournament played in India. Each team plays every other team twice (home and away) and top four teams in the end of the league format will compete in the Knockout stages of the tournament. IPL was originally founded by former Vice President of BCCI Lalit Modi in 2008. Later in December 2010 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took over from him because of allegations and is now supervised by Rajeev Shukla â€" Vice President of BCCI. DLF Group was the official sponcers of the lucrative cricket tournament for the first five seasons. In the end of the 5th season naming rights for the series was awarded to Pepsi Co Ltd.

The tournament is played in the Indian summer between April and May. Initially there were 8 city based teams including Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2011 two other new franchise teams were included they are Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Worriors. Later in 2012 season Kochi team was excluded from the IPL. Deccan Chargers franchise was sold to The Sun Network in 2012 and the team will compete as Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2013 tournament.

FORMAT

Between 2008 and 2010 eight teams played every other team twice one at home stadium and other at opposition's stadium. At the end of league state the top four teams play the semi finals and winners of the semi finals played in the finals. In 2011 play- off system was introduced to determine the 3rd place and the top three teams were given the chance to compete in the Champions League T20 tournament.

CHAMPIONS