IPL 2013 Opening Ceremony: A Grand Spectacle in the City of Joy

Like all other Trippers, I too am thrilled about our very own MakeMyTrip signing up with the IPL team SunRisers Hyderabad as their principal sponsor. So, on the evening of 2^nd April, Monday, I rushed home to make it in time for the grand opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013. After watching cricketing legends like Kapil Dev and Navjot Sidhu discuss IPL for almost an hour on ‘Extra Innings’, the much-awaited, grand opening ceremony finally began at 8 PM, dot. The spectacle kicked off with Shahrukh Khan reciting ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’, with dancers dressed in traditional Indian attire dancing to Rabindranath Tagore’s Aguner Poroshmani’ playing in the background. If you don’t already know, the opening ceremony took place at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, home to the Kolkata Knight Riders, winners of the 2012 edition of the league.

In an interview, Shahrukh Khan had promised a "spectacular and never-seen-before" opening ceremony of the IPL 6. And it was spectacular indeed, and how!

The magnificent set design at the venue It wasn’t just the perky cheerleaders, drummers flying in the air and amazing acrobats; the venue itself was a stunning visual treat. Huge illuminated white balloons in the shape of cricket balls bearing the logos of IPL teams adorned the area around the stage. The coveted IPL trophy too made a unique and enthralling entry with a performer floating across the stage fastened to a bunch of big balloons, holding the trophy. She then lowered to the ground where she handed the trophy to Gautam Gambhir, captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions. Soon after, the captains of the 9 teams got together on stage and signed the MCC’s (Marylebone Cricket Club) Spirit of Cricket pledge. The dashing captains of the IPL teams IPL is as much about cricket as it is about entertainment. The fascinating way in which the IPL has blended the two is perhaps what has led to its immense popularity all over the world. When we talk of entertainment in India, the first thing that comes to mind is none other than Bollywood. With a strong IPL-Bollywood connection, how could there not be performances by the stars! The first to set the stage on fire was none other than the gorgeous Deepika Padukone who danced to some foot-tapping Honey Singh numbers. I’m sure hundreds of people in the audience were tempted to get up on stage and shake a leg with the leggy lass! The stunning Deepika Padukone dancing to super hit tunes The queen of many hearts, Katrina Kaif, made a grand entry on a golden chariot, dressed in a golden gown and donning a crown. As she reached the stage, her royal queen get-up gave way to a desi avatar as she grooved to some of her most popular numbers. Her ethereal beauty and fabulous dance performance sure left the audience awe-struck. The best, however, was yet to come. And this ‘best’ was none other than Shahrukh Khan, one of the greatest Bollywood stars and also the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Katrina Kaif left the audience enchanted with her wonderful performance

The ‘Don’ arrived in style, like always. He opened with his signature, arms wide open gesture, saying main hoona na to the City of Joy. After he charmed the crowds with his marvellous performance, two stalwarts of the Indian music industry, the incredible Usha Uthup and the flamboyant Bappi Lahiri crooned their way into the hearts of the audience.

SRK proved to be a great entertainer yet again

And in the end, ladies and gentlemen, it was Pitbull in the house, all the way from the US of A! He enthralled the audience with some of his hit numbers including “Ooh, Baby, Baby”, “International Love” “Don’t Stop the Party” and “Give Me Everything”.

Pitbull at his best - wowing the audience!

With dazzling performances, a medley of Indian plus international artistes and an array of cricketing stars, this grand opening ceremony kicked off the sixth edition of the Indian Premiere League. The next couple of weeks promise lots of good cricket, doses of entertainment to go with it and unlimited fun.

Keep watching this space as we have lined up an array of exciting activities around the IPL including fun contests and quizzes. Prizes include match tickets, flight tickets to venue cities, cool T-shirts and much more! Who knows, you could be the proud winner of one or all of these goodies!