Abu Dhabi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actress Deepika Padukone bowled over the guests attending the IPL gala dinner on Tuesday night at the Emirates Palace by busting some moves and laying on their collective charm. The sit-down dinner was a glamorous prelude to the cricket beginning on Wednesday in the capital.

“What a wonderful city Abu Dhabi is. I need to thank them for hosting us and being so warm and gracious,” said Khan as a dazzling array of firework went off around him.

 

 

“I wish all the players the very best and I can’t wait to see them create magic on the field,” said Khan. He also thanked Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister Of Culture, Youth And Community Development, for his unstinting support.

Accompanying him on his mission to entertain was his Chennai Express co-star Deepika Padukone. While she didn’t take the microphone or speak to the guests, she made up for it by dancing like a dream to songs from her blockbusters Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.

If Khan brought a smile to the guests’ face with his numerous antics with IPL players including India captain MS Dhoni, interim BCCI president Sunil Gavaskar was in a more somber mood as he promised to protect the integrity of the game during the tournament, which has recently been marred by reports of match fixing. He appealed to the guests not to tarnish all the players with the same brush.

“We will leave no stone unturned to reclaim the piety in the world of IPL cricket,” said Gavaskar.