Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan will be once again on stage in the UAE — this time as the star performer at the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League VII, to be held on April 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Khan, who co-owns IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, was the star attraction at the opening bash of the glamorous league in Kolkata, India, last year.
While the local organisers are tight-lipped on the subject, well-placed sources in the IPL told tabloid! that SRK will be putting on a “short performance” on the night before the opening match on April 16. While speculation is rife about the venue, with the choice ranging from the Shaikh Zayed Stadium to any of the marquee hotels in the capital, indications are that the stadium will be preferred should the ground management decide that it won’t cause any damage to the wickets.
The opening ceremony of the wealthy league, which has run into rough weather thanks to the recent controversies over allegations of betting and match-fixing, has always banked on a rich Bollywood quotient to provide a dash of glamour and entertainment at its opening ceremonies. While SRK himself has performed at a number of the events, international star Katy Perry performed in 2011.
During the second IPL in 2009 held in South Africa — the only other time the league had moved overseas — SRK was part of a street parade with all the teams in an unique ceremony.
The expat Indian audience in the UAE is, however, no stranger to SRK’s gigs, his last show being the Access All Areas Concert held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on December 1.
