Grand finale promised
Bollywood superstars Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty will join reggae icon Eddy Grant and R&B singer Akon onstage Sunday as the glitzy Indian Premier League (IPL) wraps up in Johannesburg.
The closing ceremony after the five-week Twenty20 extravaganza will take place after the last ball is bowled in the glamorous tournament's final with a fireworks display topping the showcase.
"We believe we have put our best forward foot forward and it's going to be a spectacular show," IPL chief operating officer Sundar Raman told AFP Thursday.
The show tops a tournament that was moved to South Africa over fears of insufficient security in India due to date clashes with general elections.
"It's our way of saying thank you (to the fans). This is our humble way of thanking them and getting them to the field of play, to the stadium, to watch something beyond cricket," Raman said.
The line-up at the sold-out match includes Indian percussionist Shivamani, a performance by Indian and South African drummers and the crowning of the Miss Bollywood IPL South Africa.
The presentation ceremony for the 2009 season winners and runners-up will follow the entertainment.
The IPL's eight cricket teams are owned by some of the biggest Bollywood stars and richest people in the world, including Bollywood giants Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Shetty.
Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest stars and owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Shetty is co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals and a former winner of Celebrity Big Brother.
Fellow actress Zinta is part-owner of the Kings XI Punjab franchise.
Business tycoon Mukesh Ambani is the head of the fourth-richest family in the world, and owns the Mumbai Indians through his conglomerate Reliance Industries.
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