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Introducing the Indian Premier League! The will begin play May 1, 2016. The league was secretly formed in November 2015 between the 4 India teams Mumbai Directors, New Delhi Metropolitan Club, Bengaluru Royal Challengers and Hyderabad Pearls. They have recruited 4 more teams: Dhaka Mammoths, Karachi Seafarers, Kolkata Knight Riders, Ahmedabad Merchants.

They have moved in secret, not informing the BFA until they were ready. The teams drafted in January and informed the BFA on draft day they would not be competing in the league anymore. BFA is looking for new owners, but currently will play 2016 season with 4 teams.

North: New Delhi Metropolitan Club, Dhaka Mammoths, Karachi Seafarers, Kolkata Knight Riders
South: Ahmedabad Merchants, Mumbai Directors, Bengaluru Royal Challengers, Hyderabad Pearls.

Postseason Format:
The two Division Winners and two Wildcards advance to a Best-of-7 playoff series.

The Draft & Lottery:
The IPL has claimed exclusive rights to the India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan draft regions.
To ensure parity, the bottom four teams enter a Flat Lottery (each receiving one ball) to determine the top pick.

Baseball Federation of Asia:
The BFA was blindsided. On draft day in January, they weren't just losing players; they were losing their foundation. With the departure of the India teams to the IPL, the BFA is down to a 4-team League for the 2016 season.

The Standings: With only four teams remaining, the BFA has abandoned divisions for the 2016 cycle.

The Ladder Playoff: In a bid to keep the season competitive, all four teams will qualify for a Ladder-Style Playoff (4th plays 3rd, winner plays 2nd, etc.). In the first season, it will only be 3 teams as the league hopes this is not permanent.

The Talent Gap: Having been stripped of the India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan draft regions, the BFA must now look toward internal development and other international markets to fill their rosters.

Expansion Goals: The league office has confirmed they are aggressively seeking new ownership groups to stabilize the league and return to an 8 or 12-team format by 2017.