WPL 2024 Opening Ceremony highlights: SRK steals the show, captains unveil trophy in star-studded evening

After a star-studded and action-packed opening ceremony, it’s time for the confetti to be cleared so the athletes - the cricketers- can take to the stage. 

Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Smriti Mandhana, Alyssa Healy and Harmanpreet Kaur are driven to the main stage introduced by SRK. Smriti Mandhana signals to Shah Rukh to do his trademark pose which he laughs off. 

Shah Rukh speaks to the crowd in Hindi which Harmanpreet translates for Alyssa Healy. The captains and Shah Rukh then do his trademark pose and sit for photos on the sofa installed on the stage. The crowds go berserk. 

BCCI president Roger Binny, honorary secretary Jay Shah, vice president Rajeev Shukla, honorary treasurer Ashish Shelar and joint secretary Devajit Saikya and chairman of the IPL Arun Singh Dhumal join the players as do the performing actors for this ceremony. 

He begins with a speech on the power of a woman. The five captains are watching him intently. The Jawan BGM is playing behind him, like it did for the monologue he delivered in the film. SRK begins his performance for the night with ‘Jhoome jo Pathan’. He follows it up with Not Ramaiya Vastavaiya from Jawan. 

How about this for an entrance! Shahid Kapoor is on a bike and slowly rides into the playing area. OH GOSH, SAVE THE OUTFIELD. He stops short of the boundary ropes with the Kabir Singh BGM playing him into the performance arena. We then see move to tunes from Shandaar. We then revisit a classic - Nagada Nagada from Jab We Met. Dhating Naach and others from his incredible playlist of tracks. 

Varun Dhawan and his dancers, all in purple costumes sticking to the colours of the franchise. He begins with Apna Bana Le from Bhediya. After a melodious start, we move to Palat - Tera Hero Idhar Hai from Main Tera Hero followed by Besharmi Ki Height from the same movie. The camera pans to the Aussies captaining franchises in the league. Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney are chatting busily. I wonder if anyone is discussing trying some of these moves with their teams. 

We know Tiger Shroff can kill with his moves. Harmanpreet Kaur and her India vice captain Smriti Mandhana - RCB’s captain - watch along from the sidelines. His acrobatic performance finishes with fireworks to the tunes of Jai Jai Shivshankar from War. 

The camera pans to Siddharth Malhotra sitting with the league mascot. He is representing Delhi tonight but we spot him jiving with the girls in the Mumbai Indians dugout. They’re not complaining about crossing enemy lines for a few seconds here. He’s got a kaala chashma on and dances to his hit number followed by an energetic routine to Let’s Naacho. We can hear the RCB RCB chants already but the crowds will have to wait a bit.

Grooving to the tunes from Bhool Bhulaiya 2 and Love Aaj Kal 2, Kartik Aaryan comes out with his troupe of dancers in the orange of the Gujarat Giants. Huge roars follow for the star actor. 

The opening audio-visual based on the concept of Shakti is played as the stage is set for the opening ceremony. Last year, we had Mandira Bedi open proceedings making for a remarkably nostalgic moment. Now, the WPL has taken us back to the days of Set Max with Archana Vijayan taking charge of the mic. 

Shah Rukh Khan’s practice session ahead of his big opening ceremony performance might have delayed Mumbai Indians’ first pre-match press conference but no one was complaining. It was smiles all around as the Bollywood superstar met the players of DC and MI after rehearsals. 

Amidst the chatter, snippets of conversation ahead of WPL 2024 reveal a mixed sentiment among attendees.

WPL 2024: Bengaluru welcomes new Women’s Premier League season with restrained eagerness

Amidst the anticipation swirling around the Women’s Premier League, set to kick off its new season in Bengaluru, there seems to be a low hum compared to the thunderous roar one might expect. 

So here’s a rough schedule of what to expect from the ceremony. The celebrities roped in for the event will each represent one franchise after which the most awaited part of the evening, a performance from King Khan is to follow. The captains will then unveil the trophy to the fans at the Chinnaswamy after which action for the night on the field will begin.

Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have arrived at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium but they will have to wait for a little while before heading out to play as a star-studded lineup is due to perform to mark the opening of the tournament. 

It’s a pleasant evening in Bengaluru as the Garden City welcomes the second edition of the Women’s Premier League. Starting today, a nearly month-long carnival of women’s cricket with Mumbai Indians hoping to defend its title. 

You can follow the live telecast of the Women’s Premier League on Sports 18 and the Jio Cinema App.