The eighth edition of the Indian Premier League is set to open with stage-burning performances by megastars Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor.
The opening ceremony of the T20 event will be held in Kolkata on April 7.
"Entertainers will descend on one stage to mark the start of the eighth season of the IPL with the evening's proceedings being hosted by Saif Ali Khan," BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.
A dazzling line-up of Bollywood stars, including Farhan Akhtar, music director Pritam along with Hrithik and Anushka Sharma will set the ball rolling for the cash-rich T20 league.
"All eight team captains will be present to take the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge reaffirming the values in IPL's commitment to the Spirit of Cricket, which has been on display since the competition's inception in 2008," Thakur said.
Gautam Gambhir, captain of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, will put the trophy back in play, signaling the start of the season.
"The two-hour evening's performance will start at 7:30 pm and the gates of the venue will open at 5:00 pm. Tickets for the Opening Nite (prices starting at Rs 200) can be purchased from iplt20.com."
The Opening Nite will be telecast live on Sony Max and Sony Six and will be streamed on Hotstar.
Image: Hrithik Roshan
Photograph: Hrithik Roshan/Facebook
