BCCI to scrap IPL opening ceremony, calls it wastage of money

New Delhi : The days are gone when there used to be a grand opening ceremony for the Indian Premier League (IPL). It has been learned that the concerned authorities are on their way to scrap the ceremony as they believe it is a complete 'waste of money'.

The BCCI official told The Indian Express, "The opening ceremonies are a waste of money. The cricket fans don't seem to be interested, and the performers have to be paid a lot."

In February 2019, the authorities had cancelled the opening ceremony in wake of Pulwama Terror attacks and the budgeted money was donated to the armed forces.

"The estimated cost of hosting an IPL opening ceremony is Rs 20 crore. It was unanimously decided that a sum of Rs 11 crore be contributed to the Indian Army, Rs 7 crore to the CRPF and Rs 1 crore each to the Navy and Air Force respectively," the BCCI had said in a statement.

Over the years, the big-budget IPL opening ceremonies have featured numerous Bollywood celebrities along with international stars such as Katy Perry, Akon and Pit Bull.