Grand opening of 18th IPL

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off on Saturday, March 22, with a grand opening ceremony at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

This season's opening ceremony was hosted by Kolkata Knight Riders' owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Before the matches began, he announced the names of the 10 franchises participating in the tournament, marking the official start of IPL.

Alongside Shah Rukh Khan's lively hosting, popular Indian singer Shreya Ghoshal performed. She first captivated the audience with her famous song "Tumi Je Amar," followed by "Kar Maidan Fate" from the movie "Sanju" and "Swami" from "Pushpa 2," with the audience joining in.

Shreya also performed songs from Aamir Khan's "Rang De Basanti" and later from Shah Rukh's "Om Shanti Om." The popular artist also sang 10 separate songs dedicated to each of the 10 teams.

Additionally, Disha Patani's dance performance added extra charm to the opening ceremony. Shah Rukh Khan, who was hosting, then called BCCI Chairman Roger Binny and other IPL officials onto the stage. Roger Binny handed the crest to Kohli, while Bengaluru's Rajat Patidar and Kolkata's captain Avesh Khan entered the stage with the trophy, and the Indian national anthem was performed. This marked the official start of the tournament. In the IPL opening match, Kolkata Knight Riders faced Royal Challengers Bangalore.

This year, no Bangladeshi cricketers are playing in the IPL. Shakib Al Hasan was initially named in the auction but did not secure a team. However, if any player gets injured, there might be an opportunity for this all-rounder. Recently, Shakib has regained his full all-rounder status after clearing his bowling action test. On the other hand, Bangladeshi left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman also went unsold in the auction, as no team showed interest in him.

This season features a total of 10 teams, divided into two groups. Group A includes Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings. Group B consists of Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants. The tournament will have a total of 74 matches, played across 13 cities in India. The current IPL champions are Kolkata Knight Riders.