Post News Network
Kolkata, April 7: Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirit of ‘City of Joy’ as a dazzling Bollywood-style opening ceremony kicked off IPL-VIII here Tuesday at the Salt Lake Stadium after a one-and-a-half-hour rain delay.
The event was a little subdued compared to the galas of the previous editions but the cine stars still managed to put up a show, enthralling the thousands of drenched fans who were glued to their seats. The cheer was loud for Virat Kohli, louder for Mahendra Singh Dhoni but loudest for their ‘very own’ Gautam Gambhir.
While Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan stole the show with his electrifying dance performance, leading lady Anushka Sharma brought on a lot of panache with her performance. The versatile Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor regaled the crowd, both performing to their respective numbers from movies such as Rock On and Kaminey.
Of those from the glam world, Hrithik was the most sought-after as he gyrated to his hit numbers from Bang Bang and Dhoom 2.
The eight skippers led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni signed the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge to start IPL-VIII formally in front of Ravi Shastri before they posed for a formal group photo.
“Rain or shine the celebration will continue that’s how we love our cricket. Now we have a new season apart from monsoon, summer, winter and spring and that’s the season of IPL,” the anchor of the show, Saif Ali Khan, said in his opening address.
The Omkara star called out the captains of the eight franchises as the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy and George Bailey walked onto the dais. But it was the trio of Dhoni, Kohli and Gambhir who received the biggest applause as firecrackers lit up the Kolkata sky.
One of the greatest entertainers of the curtailed ceremony was Anushka, who took to the stage amid chants of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ while the Royal Challengers skipper made a quick entry to the VVIP box to catch the performance. Kohli, who had come with a backpack, was seen leaving the box soon after Anushka’s 10-minute performance got over.
