IPL 2021 Opening Ceremony: The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League commences on April 9 with five-time champions Mumbai Indians locking horns with Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Jay Shah, has invited the Differently Abled Cricket Council (DCCI) for the IPL 2021 opening ceremony. The IPL opening ceremony this year may go the same way as the 2020 version did. So as the 2021 season of the IPL gets underway on Friday, April 9 with MI vs RCB, we answer the question: will IPL 2021 have an opening ceremony?
IPL 2021 Opening Ceremony – BCCI invites Differently Abled Cricket Council
Mahantesh GK, Vice President Sumit Jain, Gen Secy Ravi Chauhan, Joint Secy SqnLdr Abhai Pratap Singh Retd. and Treasurer John David will be the members of the DCCI attending the IPL opening ceremony representing various forms of Differently Abled Cricket.
Thank You @JayShah & @BCCI for extending this humble invitation. This is great gesture towards otherwise not so priviledged Cricketers of India. Under your leadership disabled cricketers have found a new Guiding Light. #dcci #wheelchaircricket #blindcricket #deafcricket https://t.co/jBH2ZQtPOH
— Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (@dcciofficial) April 8, 2021
DCCI President Dr Mahantesh GK has thanked Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, for his invitation to the opener of the flagship T20 event.
“We are very thankful to Jay Shah for inviting us to attend the opening ceremony of the biggest T20 tournament in the world. From the very beginning, he has been very encouraging and has been promoting differently-abled cricket in the country,” he said.
Will IPL 2021 have an opening ceremony?
IPL 2021 Opening Ceremony: With multiple cases of COVID-19 somehow managing to penetrate the BCCI’s carefully put together bio-bubbles ahead of the IPL-14, the league will go ahead without its signature opening ceremony this year. Considering that just one major incident could disrupt months of planning and training, it is unlikely that there will be anything but a simple, socially distanced show to mark the IPL 2021 open.
In a departure from the glitzy and over the top IPL opening ceremonies of the past, the BCCI has made plans to involve players and management from the Cricket Association for the Blind in India in the first match of the season between MI and RCB but not in a proper opening ceremony style event.