Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan gave an electric introduction to the opening ceremony of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Khan co-owns defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who will begin the 18th season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), starting 7.30 pm.

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Khan invited RCB’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli on stage and tried to put him on a spot by asking if his golden generation can cope with the young stars in business. “Bold generation is coming up quickly, but the gold generation is still here,” said Kohli.

Shreya Ghoshal performs during the opening ceremony of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Photo: Screengrab/JioHotstar
Shreya Ghoshal performs during the opening ceremony of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Photo: Screengrab/JioHotstar

But Khan wasn’t going to let the cricket stars steal his thunder. “There is generation gold and then the generation bold. Then there is my generation that never gets old,” Khan said.

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Singer Shreya Ghoshal, rapper Karan Aujla and Bollywood actor Disha Patani were among those who entertained the opening ceremony.

Ten franchises will battle for the coveted title until May 25. Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are the other franchises.

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There are four Kerala-based players in IPL 2025 namely Sanju Samson (RR), Sachin Baby (SRH), Vishnu Vinod (PK) and Vignesh Puthur (MI).

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