Kolkata: The weather authorities issued an orange alert, but it was purple rain that marked the occasion, as Ajinkya Ranahe stirred up an electrifying atmosphere. Before this, the Eden Gardens had been transformed into a vibrant hub of sound.

The IPL opening ceremony in Kolkata featured Pitbull's dynamic performance, energizing the Salt Lake Stadium to the point where attendees were bouncing in their seats and aisles. Twelve years later, it was Canadian rapper Karan Aujla who got the crowd at Eden moving. While Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif playfully inquired about her name before revealing it, it was Disha Patani's captivating dance that stole the show on Saturday. Before Patani and Aujla took the stage, Shreya Ghoshal delivered a medley that, much like the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) innings, held great promise but ultimately fell short.

Throughout the years, Shah Rukh Khan has remained a constant presence at the opening ceremonies. Under the spotlight, Khan initiated the event, introduced the performers, and welcomed Virat Kohli and Rinku Singh to join him on stage.

He referred to them as Generation Bold and Generation Gold, highlighting the KKR batter and the player who has grown alongside the IPL yet still awaits his first title after 17 years. Kohli, who has remained loyal to his franchise for 18 years, was honoured with a memento for his dedication. Few can make Kohli blush, but Khan succeeded when he expressed his fortune to share the stage with such a legend.

Khan introduced Kohli as "the king of 22 yards and the winner of a billion hearts." While Khan has delivered more memorable one-liners in both film and reality, his popularity transcends team loyalties, and the crowd at Eden responded warmly as if it were one of his iconic quotes. The chant of "Kohli, Kohli" resonated throughout the evening, echoing through the cricketing cathedral.

One enthusiastic fan even took the initiative to perform a Jimmy Jump, breaching the security barrier to greet Kohli at the crease. Kohli remarked that his generation was still eager to make a significant impact. Before Kohli could demonstrate this himself, Rahane embraced his message. With Quinton de Kock dismissed early, the KKR captain stepped onto the field, and it was during the fourth over of the innings that Rahane, who is also 36 like Kohli, began to shine. In Rasik Salam’s opening over, Rahane displayed an aggressive approach, and by the eighth over, Sunil Narine was already looking to rotate the strike due to the intensity of Rahane's performance.

A remarkable pick-up shot off Yash Dayal illustrated the ease with which Rahane dispatched the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers. Previously, his strike rate in the IPL had hovered around the 120s, but he reached 51 runs off just 25 balls, including a six over square-leg off Suyash Sharma. The partnership between Rahane and Narine, which amassed 103 runs, set KKR on a path toward a substantial total before RCB managed to slow their momentum. From a strong position of 107/1 after 9.5 overs, KKR concluded their innings at 174/8.

A pivotal figure in this shift was Krunal Pandya. At 33, Pandya represents a more seasoned generation, and by dismissing both Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer while preventing Singh from gaining momentum, he disrupted KKR's dominance. Although often overshadowed by his younger brother Hardik, Pandya emerged as a key player in the presence of Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.

Then came Kohli, who reached his half-century in just 30 balls, hitting four boundaries and three sixes. During this inning, he also achieved the milestone of 1000 runs against KKR. While Phil Salt contributed power, Kohli showcased his flair at a venue where he had previously scored an IPL century in 2019. He struck a six off Spencer Johnson that soared over the bowler’s head. For those who doubted his ability to play the sweep shot, Kohli executed one against Chakravarthy, and to prove it was no coincidence, he repeated the feat in the 11th over. He finished the innings unbeaten on 59, the highest score of the match.

Speaking to Khan earlier in the evening, Rinku Singh had said his tribe was ready to give the seniors “takkar.” There were cameos from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rajat Patidar and Salt began from where he had left off last year but if the first game was any indication, old is still gold in IPL. And MS Dhoni has not even started.

Read Also: Rinku Singh Bypasses Virat Kohli's Handshake at IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony After Acknowledging Shah Rukh

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