Karbonn Smart KPL 2015 off to dazzling start

Chief Guest Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao greets Belagavi Panthers Captain R Vinay Kumar

Hubballi, September 3, 2015: All roads led to the Rajnagar Stadium on Thursday evening as a grand Opening Ceremony marked the commencement of the Karbonn Smart Karnataka Premier League IV. Cricket fans in Hubballi were in for a visual treat at the spectacular Inauguration and Opening Ceremony of the fourth edition of the KPL which saw a delightful medley of cricket, entertainment and cultural extravaganza.

Present at the event was Chief Guest Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon. Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies and District-in-Charge, Dharwad District, Mr. Ashok Anand, Mr. Sudhakar Rao, Vice President, KSCA, Mr. Vinay Mruthyunjaya Official Spokesperson, KSCA, along with a host of other dignitaries and guests.

The Inauguration saw Chief Guest Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao introduced to the captains from the eight teams – R Vinay Kumar (Belagavi Panthers), Rohit Sabharwal (Mangalore United), Stuart Binny (Namma Shivamogga), Manish Pandey (Mysuru Warriors), B Akhil (Bijapur Bulls), Devraj Patil (Bellary Tuskers), Sreenath Arvind (Hubli Tigers) and Raghu (on behalf of Rockstars).

Addressing the gathering, Mr Dinesh Gundu Rao, said, “It gives me great pleasure to be a part of the Inauguration and Opening Ceremony of the fourth edition of the Karnataka Premier League. Our State has an immense wealth of talent, especially in the mofussil regions, and what better way to showcase that talent than a tournament like the KPL which allows our young rising stars to perform on the same platform as some of the best players in Karnataka. I wish all the teams the very best for the tournament and may the best team win!”

Speaking at the Inauguration, Mr Ashok Anand, Hon. President, KSCA, said, “This is the second year that Hubballi is hosting the KPL and we are very thankful for the support that we have received here. It was a vision of the Late President of KSCA and Scion of the Mysore Royal Family, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar to have an IPL-like league at the State level and I am very proud to say that today the KPL has become a stepping stone for many young cricketers and has also contributed to the Karnataka team who have won three tournaments back to back last season – the Ranji, Irani and Vijay Hazare Trophies. There will also be several IPL franchisees watching KPL closely to scout for new talent for the upcoming IPL season.”

The Opening Ceremony got off to a splendid start with a performance by popular award winning singer Sinchan Dixit whose scintillating performance had spectators tapping their feet to her catchy popular Kannada and Bollywood tunes. Next on stage were the dance troupe from the Kannada feature film ‘First Rank Raju’ who delivered a specially choreographed routine to match the energy, excitement and spirit of the tournament. The entertainment continued with a musical performance by First Rank Raju which kept the spectators glued to their seats.

This was followed by an introduction of the eight teams, lead by the respective team captains, in their team colours, accompanied by franchisee owners and brand ambassadors of the teams. Signalling the start of Karbonn Smart Karnataka Premier League IV, the captains lit a host of sky lanterns and released them into a spectacular array of lights in the night sky.

The entertainment capsule was followed by an equally dazzling 3-D laser show that enthralled the audience. The ceremony came to a close with a brilliant display of fireworks, setting the tone for what will be a thrilling contest of cricket over the next three weeks in Hubballi and Mysore.