IPL 2018: First-ever elements that enrich the season

#3 Only two captains at the opening ceremony

One of the opening ceremonies from the past

The opening ceremony, which usually happens on the night before the first match of the tournament (except last year where it happened in each of the eight venues), now happens at Mumbai on the evening of the first match itself (April 7).

The ten-year-old ceremony also had a custom of presenting skippers of all the IPL franchises who took the 'Spirit Of Cricket' pledge. This season's ceremony, owing to logistical issues, will only have two captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni whose teams clash that night. This is because on April 8, the day after the opening ceremony, Delhi Daredevils will be taking on Kings XI Punjab in Mohali at 4 p.m. while RCB will meet KKR in Kolkata at 8 p.m. Since the captains of respective teams will not be able to reach their respective venues earlier for the practice of next day's game, their presence in the first day event will deliberately be avoided.

However, it is now said that the captains will be called in for a shoot on the day before the ceremony to do the necessary ritual that will be telecast on the evening of the opening day celebration.