The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to embark upon a new adventure, starting March 22 when the 18th edition of the T20 league begins on Kolkata. The star cast for the curtain-raiser event has already been finalized, with Bollywood diva Disha Patani set to entertain fans ahead of the opening match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Singer Shreya Ghosal is also expected to perform at the venue, with ICC chairman Jay Shah in attendance.
But, that isn’t all. Unlike the previous seasons, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to organize opening ceremonies at all 13 venues that are hosting IPL matches.
In a report, different celebrities are being finalised by the board for opening ceremony events across venues.
The likes of Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif, Triptii Dimri, Ananya Panday, Madhuri Dixit, Janhvi Kapoor, etc. are all expected to play a role at some point in time, during the course of the campaign.
When it’s 18 years of IPL, it calls for a dazzling celebration like never before!
Who better than the sensational Disha Patani to set the stage ablaze?
Don’t miss the electrifying Opening Ceremony of the #TATAIPL 18! @DishPatani pic.twitter.com/3TeHjOdz67
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 19, 2025
“The idea is to have a varied pool of Bollywood artists performing for all the programmes, and with limited time in between the innings, two to three artists could be accommodated for these events,” a source was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
“Since this is happening at such a scale for the first time, there are some logistical issues as well. So, the BCCI and State associations are working in tandem to ensure that the programmes are conducted smoothly without hampering the matches,” the report added.
Other than the traditional venues for the 10 IPL franchises, matches will also be played at second homes of a few teams. The likes of Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Dharamshala and Mullanpur will host matches for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings over the course of the season.
