Hrithik, Shahid to perform at IPL opening night

New Delhi, Apr 5: With megastar Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor set to perform, the IPL opening ceremony on April 7 in Kolkata promises to be a glitzy and glamorous affair.

"Entertainers will descend on one stage to mark the start of the eighth season of the IPL with the evening's proceedings being hosted by Saif Ali Khan," BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

A dazzling line-up of Bollywood stars, including Farhan Akhtar, music director Pritam along with Hrithik and Anushka Sharma will set the ball rolling for the cash-rich T20 league.

"All eight team captains will be present to take the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge reaffirming the values in IPL's commitment to the Spirit of Cricket, which has been on display since the competition's inception in 2008," Thakur said.

Gautam Gambhir, captain of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, will put the trophy back in play, signalling the start of the season.

"The two-hour evening's performance will start at 7:30 pm and the gates of the venue will open at 5:00 pm. Tickets for the Opening Nite (prices starting at Rs 200) can be purchased from iplt20.com."

The Opening Nite will be telecast live on Sony Max and Sony Six. It will be streamed on Hotstar.