The 18th edition of the IPL began yesterday (22 March). The event has become so big that it has it has an opening and closing cermony. These ceremonies are always big and a spectacle to watch and witness. However, this edition's opening ceremony has garnered criticism.
Kolkata Knight Riders owner and actor, Shah Rukh Khan, took on hosting during for the IPL 2025 opening ceremony on Saturday. Shah Rukh Khan hosted the IPL opening ceremony 2025. Khan is known to always bring his signature wit, humour and charm every time he's on stage or at a public event.
The actor was joined on stage by Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli, whom he addressed as ‘bhai’ (brother) multiple times. Reddit was not impressed by his hosting duties, with many calling it cringe and thought the actor was unprepared.
A Redditor posted a picture of Shah Rukh and Virat Kohli from the ceremony and asked in the title, "Why is so hard to watch Srk in today's ceremony." Others echoed the thought. "VK is respectfully letting uncle do his cringe. Its like when you encounter bride ka chacha or mama drunk on dance floor, you will react in this same way," wrote a person.
"I don't know who gave SRK the idea of hosting shows...I know he does it for money cause he himself said it but every show he hosts becomes bias and all about his star power. I miss those days when actual hosts hosted and made fun of the attendees, being actors and actresses," wrote another. "It's funny how he's always hogging the limelight, and when his bowlers are getting murdered the camera has never focused on him once," said another. A person wrote, "Virat wanted to get down asap."
Others thought the whole ceremony was dull and boring. "True. The whole opening ceremony was shit. Neither of those song and dance performances were good. Very lackluster. As if opening h kuch krna h toh bss kr diya [yes I had to do something so I did it]," said another.
A few also shared their thoughts on why the ceremony was a failure. "I think none of them thought that the ceremony would actually happen as there was rain forecast . So less practice and shit show it is."
Another said, "I am guessing because there's such an overload of cricket and Bollywood entertainment now that everyone's become mechanical. Even they know that the audience knows that the celebs are in it just for the money. Both great art and great sport require some breaks in between. Even the audience's minds need a break."
Another reasoned, "Here is the script for today's ceremony. He has almost no scope to do anything beyond calling ppl on stage and interact a bit which he cant do much if the cricketers themselves r shy or haven’t rehearsed a pre planned skit. (It's live he can’t throw interactive curve balls at the players). Still he tried to infuse some juice in this dry event planned. And hyping kohli as king of 22 yards and billion hearts and bowed to him and said he is only player to stick to one team etc."
An optimistic fan still thought Shah Rukh will prove them wrong soon. "The term and name Shah Rukh Khan has sadly deteriorated from what it used to be. People find behaviour's like his to be filled with narcissism ( I’d hate to be proven wrong) I used to love everything about him at one point but now he gives me an irk that I cannot even explain. I wish what Shah Rukh is becoming today is just a dream."
Additionally, Bollywood actress, Disha Patani’s performance has sparked a heated debate online, with many social media users criticizing her outfit as inappropriate for a family audience.
Patani, who set the stage on fire with her energetic dance moves, donned an ivory bralette and a matching skirt with a dripping diamonds pattern. While fans praised her sizzling performance, several netizens took to X to express their anger, accusing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of allowing such an act in front of millions of young viewers.
"Why does BCCI approve such revealing outfits for a show watched by families and kids?" one user questioned, while another called the act, "unnecessary" for a sports event. Another user wrote, "Such outfits should not be allowed in the IPL opening ceremony, as under-18 RCB kids also watch it, and it sets a wrong example for them. Decency should be maintained."
Some, however, defended the actress, stating that the criticism was unnecessary and that her performance was simply a part of the entertainment spectacle.
I really couldn't care less about these kind of ceremonies. I don't bother to watch them. However, if I were to put forward my two cents on this matter, it'll be that these ceremonies always need to be professionally done. Tossing any random person in the spotlight might ruin the magical ambiance. A bad opening ceremony might set the tone for the actual event.
Opening ceremonies should always be family orientated. As such, I believe that the performer should've been dressed more appropriately. Hopefully, the IPL organisers will learn from the mistakes made and do a more professional job going forward with these ceremonies. There's no question or doubt that the cricket that's played is a massive success.