IPL 2018 Opening Ceremony, Highlights: Hrithik Roshan, Jacqueline Fernandez dazzle before 11th edition gets underway

Before the opening game of IPL 2018 between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) game, the fans witnessed the opening ceremony of the tournament, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan, Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez and Tamannaah performed at the event. There were fancy props, drum rolls, more than a hundred supporting artists that left everyone spellbound. Get highlights of IPL 2018 opening ceremony, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai here. (IPL 2018 OPENING CEREMONY LIVE STREAMING INFO)

19:10 hrs IST: That’s it. Thank you for joining us!

19:01 hrs IST: And the ceremony comes to an end. Have to credit all these superstars for putting on an amazing show!

18:55 hrs IST: Hrithik Roshan is the last one to perform.

18:50 hrs IST: And here is Jacqueline Fernandez. Some impressive dance moves by the actress.

18:44 hrs IST: Mika Singh is entertaining the crowd with some of his popular songs. The opening ceremony has been magnificent so far.

18:39 hrs IST: Tamannaah now. Some excellent dance moves from her.

18:37 hrs IST: “All the three titles we won was for this wonderful crowd. We will again try our best to bring this cup back.” - Rohit

18:34 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma is here. He is addressing the Wankhede crowd.

18:31 hrs IST: The Wankhede crowd loves it! Varun and Prabhu Deva have set the stage on fire.

18:27 hrs IST: Bollywood dancing legend Prabhu Deva is next. Can’t get any better!

18:23 hrs IST: The ceremony begins. Varun Dhawan is the first to perform. The stadium is currently in a mood to party.

18:10 hrs IST: The IPL Governing council has swapped the dates of Kings XI Punjab’s (KXIP) home matches with the first three games being held in Mohali (in April) and the last four games in Indore (in May) owing to some logistical issues.

As per the revised itinerary, KXIP will play in Mohali on (April 15, 19 and 23) instead of Indore.

18:00 hrs IST: Big crowd at the Wankhede stadium! They are here for the big game between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. But before that, everyone wants to watch the grand opening ceremony.

17:52 hrs IST: To add to it, the stage will also play host to a musical extravaganza from none other than Mika Singh, who will be singing his latest chartbusters that are bound to get the audience going.

17:44 hrs IST: The opening night will see an amalgamation of stars under one roof, celebrating the love for the game and setting the stage for the highly anticipated cricketing action to follow in the next two months.

17:35 hrs IST: Two of Bollywood’s leading beauties Jacqueline Fernandez and Tamannaah will enthral everyone with their dance performances.

17:30 hrs IST: Good evening and welcome to the live coverage of the opening ceremony of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra were also reported to perform but the duo opted out. While Ranveer cited a shoulder injury for pulling out, Parineeti felt she wasn’t prepared enough and ‘she was not okay putting up a compromised performance’.

The opening fixture featuring Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will put two of the most successful teams in the IPL.

READ: IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings’ main challenge - winning back hearts

CSK are making a return to the league after serving a two-year suspension for spot-fixing. They will be led by former India skipper MS Dhoni while MI will be captained by Rohit Sharma.

The two sides share a fair bit of history, having played each other in three IPL finals so far, with MI winning twice against CSK (2013 and 2015).