Military bands will perform at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium ahead of the opening fixture of the IPL between CSK and RCB on Saturday.
Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also confirmed to Sportstar that the Board will contribute ₹20 crore for the welfare of the armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, where 44 CRPF personnel were killed.
Representatives from the Indian Armed Forces have been invited for the match, which will also be attended by the three members of the Committee of Administrators (CoA). There will be no elaborate opening ceremony like in the earlier years and efforts are on to ensure the participation of all eight captains.
“Members of the CoA and the players will be present during the programme,” an official said. He, however, remained non-committal on whether Dhoni, who is a Lieutenant Colonel of the Territorial Army, will don a role.
“The entire programme is an effort to pay our homage to the martyrs,” he said.
In the ODI series against Australia, the Indian players had paid homage by sporting Army camouflage caps in the third match in Ranchi.