The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly set to introduce a massive change in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the Indian cricket board is planning to hold opening ceremonies at all 13 venues rather than a single grand event.
The 18th edition of the tournament is set to begin at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the tournament opener. Notably, these two teams also played in the inaugural IPL match back in 2008.
BCCI To Stage Special Celebrations Across All 13 Venues in IPL 2025
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly planning to host special opening ceremonies across all 13 venues during IPL 2025. While there is no official confirmation yet, reports suggest that each venue will have a ceremony before its first match.
According to Sportstar, the celebrations will begin with a grand opening ceremony at Eden Gardens on March 22, featuring Bollywood stars and music artists. Cultural performances will also take place at other venues when they host their first matches.
According to a report in Sportstar on Tuesday, which quoted a source as saying, “The celebration will kick off with a grand opening ceremony featuring Bollywood superstars and celebrities from the music industry at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 22. The festive fervour will continue throughout the season with each venue kickstarting its first match with a cultural programme featuring prominent artists.”
“We wanted to add more flavour to the tournament so that spectators from each and every venue can get a taste of the opening ceremony. For the cultural programmes in each venue, we are planning to create a line-up of national and local artists,” a well-placed source told Sportstar.
Shreya Ghoshal And Disha Patani Set To Perform At IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony
Singer Shreya Ghoshal and Bollywood actress Disha Patani are set to perform at the IPL 2025 opening ceremony in Kolkata on March 22. The event will also be attended by ICC Chairman Jay Shah.
Meanwhile, the BCCI is in the final stages of discussions with other Bollywood artists to perform at the remaining 12 venue-specific opening ceremonies. The final lineup is expected to be confirmed by Wednesday.
“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,” the source said.
IPL 2025 to Be Played Across 13 Venues from March 22 to May 25
The tournament will be played across 13 venues from March 22 to May 25. Notably, the event will begin in Kolkata on March 22, followed by a double-header in Hyderabad and Chennai. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad are part of the 10 traditional home venues.
Rajasthan Royals will use Guwahati as their second home venue, while Delhi Capitals will play a few games in Visakhapatnam. Punjab Kings have shifted their primary home venue from Mohali to Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) and will continue using Dharamsala as their secondary venue in the marquee tournament.
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