The sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament is all set for a gala kick off on Tuesday. Nine teams — including the new Hyderabad franchise, rechristened Sunrisers — will slug it out for the coveted title.
IPL-6 will see a glitzy opening ceremony featuring American-rapper Pitbull, alongside a plethora of Bollywood stars led by Shah Rukh Khan.
More than a hundred thousand fans will watch their screen idols, as well as drummers and percussionists perform at the Salt Lake stadium. In keeping with tradition, Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champion, will host the opening ceremony and the final clash. The team will also play the first match, against Delhi Daredevils, at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
Opening blues
SRK had promised a ‘never seen before’ opening ceremony. And going by the cost of tickets, he has already set the stadium abuzz. Tickets for the inaugural ceremony have been tagged Platinum, Diamond, Silver, Gold and Ruby depending on the distance from the performance area. Ticket prices vary from Rs 2,000 to Rs 15,000.
But people claim to have brought Platinum and Diamond tickets — closest to the performance area — for as much as Rs 25,000. Tickets in the galleries are priced at Rs 300-600. All online tickets for the opening ceremony were sold out by April 1.
“There’s a huge demand for tickets. Nearly 80 per cent of the tickets for the first game has already been sold,” Venky Mysore, CEO and MD, KKR said.