The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off with an electrifying clash between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The anticipation surrounding the tournament was met with a grand opening ceremony, featuring a constellation of stars including Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Sonu Nigam, and AR Rahman, setting the stage for an exciting season of cricket.
Captains face-off at the toss
Amidst the glitz and glamour, the captains of the two teams, Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) and Faf du Plessis (RCB), stepped onto the field for the toss. The Royal Challengers won the toss and elected to bat first, setting the tone for what promised to be a thrilling encounter.
Heartwarming moment steals the spotlight
However, amidst the competitive spirit, a touching moment captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Prior to the commencement of the match, a heartwarming exchange unfolded between two stalwarts of the game, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Kohli approached Dhoni and enveloped him in a warm embrace, symbolizing the mutual respect and camaraderie shared between the two cricketing icons.
Here is the video:
2 legends pic.twitter.com/8AEbSW69My
— IPL (@WatchIPLvideos) March 22, 2024
Also WATCH: IPL 2024 – AR Rahman, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and other prominent figures shine bright at the opening ceremony
“Feel privledged. But I want to try and be in my shoes, not fill anybody’s shoes. (On captaincy) I got to know last week, but Mahi bhai hinted at it last year,” said Ruturaj regarding captaincy of CSK.
Team Line ups:
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Tushar Deshpande
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Anuj Rawat, Karn Sharma, Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj