Hrithik to star cricket-tainment

Prior to the batting and bowling fireworks, the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur will be illuminated by the pyrotechnics of Hrithik Roshan. The Bollywood superstar will be the main attraction of a grand opening concert to mark the return of the glamorous Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) at the home of Bangladesh cricket today after two years. 

The stage is all set for some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry -- from Bangladesh and India -- to light up the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as the Bangladesh Premier League's opening ceremony begins at 4.30pm today. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

Chief coordinator of the BPL opening ceremony and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Sheikh Sohel informed during a press conference yesterday that local artist Mou will kick-start the concert at 4.30pm, which will be followed by renditions from popular bands Chirkut and LRB. Then the evergreen folk singer Momtaz Begum will arrive on stage, before Indian playback singer KK enters to enthral the audience.

Hrithik Roshan

After KK's performance, BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon will officially declare the third edition of the tournament open. It will then be time for Sri Lanka-born Bollywood beauty queen, Jacqueline Fernandez, to captivate the audience before the final attraction comes on stage; which will be none other than Hrithik, who has never performed in a live show in Bangladesh. Although the manager of the Bollywood superstar, along with his dancing troupe, arrived in the city yesterday, Hrithik has decided to take an early morning flight to Dhaka today for his much-anticipated performance.

Sohel informed that they had to increase their budget for the mega event to nearly Tk 3.50 crore including taxes, and according to close sources two-thirds of that amount will be paid to the Indian showstopper. The grand opening ceremony will be ended with a fabulous laser show and fireworks, but the organisers promised that the crowd will have everlasting memories of the one and only Hrithik Roshan.

"We are selling four to five thousand tickets and there are only few complimentary tickets as we have decided to give the fans the most opportunity [to watch the event]. We chose Friday, a public holiday, for the event so that most people can watch. We believe if the opening ceremony is a hit, then the tournament will also be a hit," said Sohel at a press conference which was arranged to declare DBL as title sponsor for the grand opening ceremony.

Chief coordinator of the BPL opening ceremony and BCB director Sheikh Sohel speaks at a 'meet the press' event at the BGMEA Bhaban yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

DBL Group chairman Abdul Wahed said that they accepted the offer to become title sponsors for the opening event as it seemed like a lucrative venture. "We are excited and we hope that it will be a grand success," said Wahed.

After the opening ceremony, the tournament will roll onto the field from November 22 and apart from Mirpur the matches will also be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. Six teams will feature in this season's tournament and the fans will be looking forward to seeing some entertaining cricket during the 24-day extravaganza that will feature the likes of Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara and Shahid Afridi. But all that blends into the background because today is not a day for cricket, today is a day for cricket-tainment.