IPL 2016 Opening Ceremony

 

Bollywood stars and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo added glitz to the opening ceremony of Indian Premier League 2016 at the National Sports Club in Mumbai on Friday. IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, who posed with the captains of the eight teams on the stage, said the board was committed to the welfare of farmers in the drought-hit Maharashtra.

The Indian Premier League 2016 opening ceremony added more glamour and glitz to a Friday evening in Mumbai.

Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ranveer Singh and Yo Yo Honey Singh along with West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo set the stage on fire at National Sports Club in the city. 

 

Jacqueline initiated the proceedings on the big night with a performance from her hit number 'Yaar Na Mile' after which dance group Kings United, who won a Bronze medal at the World Hip Hop Championships, enthralled the audience with their moves. 

 

Katrina also raised the oomph factor in Mumbai by shaking a leg to the title number from Bollywood superhit movie series Dhoom. Ranveer entered the scene with a bang dressed up as cricketer. He then changed avatars and sported an attire inspired from his blockbuster Bollywood film Bajirao Mastani. The Bollywood heart-throb was a live wire on the stage.  Yo Yo Honey Singh and Los Angeles-based group Major Lazer grabbed eyeballs with a spirited show in the end.

However, thestar of the show was Bravo, who performed his chartbuster 'Champion', which took the world by storm during the World T20 season. As DJ Bravo.. DJ Bravo was reverberating around the stage, the West Indies all-rounder surprised the crowd with another number - Chalo, Chalo. Playback singer Ankit Tewari later crooned along with Bravo.

Also, the captains of the eight teams set the ball rolling as they graced the stage with the IPL trophy. The trophy suddenly appeared from the roof and defending champions Mumbai Indians' skipper Rohit Sharma pouched it safely. The captains along with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla posed with the trophy.

Shukla, who addressed the gathering, said said the BCCI was committed to the welfare of the farmers in drought-hit Maharashtra and that they will do whatever is suggested to them.

Shukla said the viewers too would get a chance to air their views on decisions referred to the third umpire.

"They will be given a placard, and whatever they say, out or not out, that will be caught by the camera and shown on the screen....but the decision of the third umpire will be final," he added.

"This opinion will not matter to the third umpire, he will go as per whatever he sees on the (TV) screen," he said, speaking to reporters at a function here.

This will increase the involvement of the viewers, he said.