Kolkata is gearing up to host the glamorous Indian Premier League opening ceremony at the Saltlake Stadium, but rain and thunderstorm might interrupt the opening ceremony. According to reports, the BCCI are planning to cancel the laser show if it pours heavily tomorrow and the two hours show might be cut down, which is set to feature a host of Bollywood stars including Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Pritam and Hrithik Roshan.
Regional Meteorological Centre director GC Debnath confirmed it’s very likely that heavy spells of shower is expected on Tuesday afternoon.
“There is a high possibility of rain and thunderstorm around Kolkata and surrounding 50 km on Tuesday especially in the afternoon and evening. It is difficult to say if it will affect Salt Lake but chances are high,” Debnath said.
Earlier, BCCI just released 30,000 tickets to the common public for the opening ceremony despite the stadium capacity being more than 100,000.
“Only 30,000 tickets have been released for the opening ceremony. This however also includes BCCI complimentary and hospitality area tickets,” IPL governing council member and CAB joint secretary Subir Ganguly said.
All 8 teams captains are expected to be present at the event to take the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Spirit of Cricket pledge. Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir will give the trophy back, signaling the start of the 2015 season. Sources revealed Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan will give the opening ceremony a miss, but will be present on Wednesday to cheer his team who take on the Mumbai Indians in the opening game at the Eden Gardens. “But he will be there for the opening game,” a team source said.