Indian Premier League Opening Ceremony, Highlights: IPL 8 Officially Open After Star-Studded Event
Despite rain, a curtailed opening ceremony featured a host of stars who delivered an electric performance ahead of the eight edition of Indian Premier League.
No other cricket event in the whole world brings as much oomph and panache to the sport as the Indian Premier League does. The T20 tournament brings together the superstars of the game in an epic festival of club cricket at its best. In its eight edition, the 2015 Indian Premier League promises to be even better with a star-studded opening ceremony at the Salt Lake Stadium declaring the tournament officially open. Here are the highlights from the ceremony.
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(All times in IST)
2230: IPL 2015 is officially open! Bollywood stars make way for cricketing heroes as T20 extravanganza gets underway from tomorrow (Wednesday, April 8).
2228: Hrithik's performance gets the loudest applause as the actor's name is chanted by fans with energy.
© BCCI
2222: Hrithik Roshan's energetic performance adds zesty touch to proceedings.
2212: Farhan Akhtar's voice reverberates across the stadium as he comes out to perform with his band - Farhan Live!
2203: Fans in Kolkata will always cherish memories that Ganguly gifted them. The former India captain keeps getting loud and repeated cheers.
2152: Virat Kohli reveals a smile as girlfriend Anushka's performance comes to a spectacular end.
© BCCI
2146: Anushka Sharma is greeted with cheer from spectators. She takes the stage with a graceful dance from PK and Jab Tak Hain Jaan numbers
2142: Past winners of IPL remembered. Chennai have won the title twice while Kolkata have claimed the title as many times. Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals to the title in the inaugural season.
2134: Shahid delivers an electric performance which ends with fireworks and laser lights.
2128: Shahid Kapoor rides a bike onto the stage. Gets a massive applause. The actor, though, hits a ramp slightly. He then slips on the stage but recovers quickly.
2121: Captains take the MCC Spirit of Game oath. They sign the Spirit of Cricket bat to uphold the spirit of the game at all times.
© BCCI
2116: Salt Lake stadium gives a loud welcome to Kohli and Dhoni but crowds absolutely erupt as home captain Gautam Gambhir walks out with the IPL trophy.
2114: Massive applause as team captains make their way out. Rohit is the first, followed by Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy, Shane Watson and others.
2112: Loud cheer for host Saif Ali Khan as the actor makes his way to the center of the stage.
2110: Music director Pritam starts opening ceremony with a Rabindra Sangeet - Anandaloke. Dancers wearing traditional bengali sarees dance to the famous song.
2105: Everybody is working at fever pitch to start proceedings. A loud cheer across the stadium as stage lights are switched back on for one last test.
2055: Rain has stopped and the start to the ceremony is expected in roughly 15 more minutes from now!
2040: Did you know? Salt Lake Stadium has an artificial turf which means there is no chance of water getting stagnated here. Even the stages can be wiped off quickly enough for the ceremony to begin. For all of this though, it needs to stop raining though. Meanwhile, here's a list of superstars who will miss IPL 2015 action - either a part of in full.
2010: Rain is getting slightly light about now. The drenched stage is being cleared of water.
19055: Farhan Akhtar urges fans to hang on. "We are all as anxious to get this event started. Once can't do anything against nature but our fingers are crossed," says the actor.
1945: Unfortunately, no good news yet from Salt Lake Stadium as rain continues unabated. Word is that the ceremony can begin within half an hour of the rain coming to an end.
Meanwhile, here's looking at some unbelievable statistics from IPL 2014.
1920: Sunil Gavaskar tells NDTV that IPL has maintained its interest over the years and across all age groups.
"People wonder what to do after 8 once IPL ends. There's ups and downs in everything but the tournament has maintained its level of interest."
1915: Umbrellas are out as all electronic equipments are being covered in a rush with rain getting heavier by the minute.
1905: Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar talks to NDTV about which team has the best chance in IPL 7:
"It will be another fabulous event. Every team has done its homework from the last year. They have made the additions to their team looking at their shortcomings in the previous year.So, till we have to till we get an idea what the combinations look like very very tough to predict who is going to be the winner."
1853: Frequent lightening and rain has delayed the start of IPL opening ceremony. Spectators here have been requested to wait for more details.
1850: Earlier today, Chennai captain MS Dhoni reached Kolkata with wife Sakshi and baby daughter Ziva. Read more here.
© PTI
1836: It has begun drizzling in Kolkata. While when it rains, it pours in this city, fans are keeping their fingers crossed that there is an exception to this pattern tonight.
1825: Did you know? Hrithik Roshan - one of the star performers today - has an old and precious link with Kolkata. Find out more about it here.
1820: Earlier - on Monday, all eyes in Kolkata turned towards one couple. RCB captain Virat Kohli touched down in the city with actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma. (Read more here)
1815: Fans are braving the weather and tight security measures put into place. The area around Salt Lake Stadium has been turned into a fortress but no number of checks can dampen the spirit of the passionate Kolkata fan.
1800: It is overcast over Kolkata currently but last-minute preparations continue unfazed.
The relationship between the glitzy world of Bollywood and the action-packed stage of IPL has been well-known since the inaugural edition in 2008. The opening ceremonies each year have been a mesmerising treat for the senses and Tuesday's events promise to be even better and bigger. With celebrities like Anushka Sharma, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor all set to dazzle the stage, the two-hour long opening ceremony promises to be an absolute cracker. Hope the rains stay away. Kolkata was hit by Nor'westers (Kalboisakhi in Bengali) on Monday.
Here's what you must know about the event today:
* The opening ceremony will be conducted by Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan.
* The event will take place over two hours at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium. It will start at 7:30 PM.
* Anushka, Hrithik and Shahid will be performing on Bollywood numbers. Farhan Akhtar will be performing with his band.
* All eight captains will be present at the event and will take the MCC Spirit of Cricket Pledge.
* Captain of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders - Gautam Gambhir - will put the trophy back in play. This will signal the official start of the tournament.
While lights, camera and action have indeed introduced IPL cricket each year, it would once again be cricket that will light up the country over the next 47 days.
Eight teams will battle it out for the coveted title with Chennai Super Kings being seen as favourites by global betting odds. The side may have been the most consistent with five finals and two titles. The beauty of T20 cricket though is such that any of the other seven sides -- each with their own unique strengths -- can perform all the way to the title and glory.
Here are some interesting facts about IPL 8:
* The first and final match of IPL 2015 will both be played at the Eden Gardens. The title clash will take place on May 24.
* The cheapest ticket for an IPL match costs Rs 200.
* This is the first time IPL matches will be streamed on mobile apps.
* Yuvraj Singh - bought by Delhi for Rs 16 crores - is the most expensive player in the tournament. His amount is 3.5 crores more
than even that of Dhoni.
* Bangalore's Gayle is not 100% fit and while he will play in IPL, he would be unavailable for national duty thereafter.
* Mitchell Starc was player of the tournament in World Cup 2015. He will join Bangalore franchise after a few weeks.