That the IPL will not be the same again was known long back — when Lalit Modi was suspended. But how different it will be is unfolding slowly.

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From next year, there could be five foreign players in a match, a long-pending demand of the franchise owners.

Currently, only four foreign players are allowed in the playing XI. A decision to this effect has not yet been taken but a proposal is being put before the IPL governing council for approval. It was revealed in a letter written by Sunil Gavaskar to the eight captains of the original teams.

“A franchise could play five overseas players in four matches but not in the knockout stage. The proposal was put up to the governing council (on June 26) but no decision was taken and it will come up for the next GC meeting sometime in August,” Gavaskar, a GC member, has said in his letter.

The letter also talks about allowing the existing teams to retain four Indian and three foreign players with a cap of $2 million and a salary cap of $8 million.“After hearing them (team owners) out, we (Ravi Shastri, MAK Patuadi and Gavaskar) had a meeting among ourselves. We felt that retention of players was a bit unfair on the new teams but had to take into account an earlier resolution by the GC where it was decided that four Indian and three overseas players would be allowed to be retained…

“So we proposed a nomination process whereby each franchise could nominate the players they wished to retain but all those players also would go into the auction with a cap of $2 million. If the market forces went to the limit of $2 million and the franchise was still keen on the player then they could retain him at that price.“The salary cap for all franchises was proposed at $8 million so any franchise wanting to retain players would have to be pretty choosy about them.”

Gavaksar also admitted the possibility of some competitors trying to mischievously increase the price of a player. “Yes, there is a possibility that some other franchises could mischievously play up the auction but that is something that cannot be avoided.”Gavaskar also told the captains about Adam Gilchrist’s suggestion on the knockout format.

“By the way Gilly, your idea of having the knockout stage where Teams 1 and 2 play against each other and the loser plays the winner of three and four has been accepted...”