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IPL ceremony "takes world cricket to the next level" as world watches

18/04/2008

India's inaugural Premier League (IPL) season got off to a flamboyant start with an opening ceremony watched by millions across the globe.

In a flurry of rhetoric, the inaugural season was billed as a revolutionary event for world cricket.

The chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sharad Pawar, claimed it represented an "opportunity for the world’s senior players to teach the new young players which will build a strong future team for India".

"The world is watching what is happening in Bangalore," he said ahead of the opening game.

"In 44 days, 123 Indian players and 73 overseas players are going to play 59 matches in eight different places."

The opening ceremony saw acrobats, singers and a troupe of cheerleaders from Washington Redskins perform for the world's media and a sell-out crowd of 55,000 at Bangalore's M Chinnaswammy Stadium.

All eight of the IPL's team captain were also present at the ceremony.

Despite the hype the opening ceremony was largely boycotted by the world’s media, with a number of agencies having failed to reach an agreement with the league’s governing body and boycotting coverage.

Among the big-name players signed up by IPL clubs are Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar.