IPL-10 to be staged between April 5 and May 21

This effectively means, there would be less than a week’s gap for the Test players to play in the IPL after the four-match series against Australia which concludes on March 29.

The Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee had proposed a reformation to keep at least a 15-day gap between an international assignment and the IPL. But an unnamed top BCCI official has said the recommendation is not binding on the BCCI.

"The recommendation on 15-day's gap is not absolutely binding, but the GC (IPL governing council) wants to ensure that the players get enough rest after the IPL season,” the official told the Times of India.

The IPL governing council met in Delhi on Tuesday to finalize the dates where it was also decided that Maharashtra will host IPL games this year after missing out on the opportunity the last time owing to severe drought.

"We will have water harvesting technology at stadiums in Maharashtra to counter drought threat in the state. We will ensure that we can generate our own water to maintain stadiums," IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told reporters after the meeting which was attended by BCCI president Anurag Thakur, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, Jharkhand Cricket Association chief Amitabh Choudhary and Punjab Cricket Association president MP Pandove.