MUMBAI, March 12 (PTI): The third edition of the Indian Premier League returned to its home environs after a one-year gap with an eye-catching opening ceremony at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai here today.
The highlight of the ceremony was a spectacular light and sound extravaganza, which included international performers and pop stars like Lionel Richie. Popular band UB40�s Ali Campbell, Bjorn Again and Bollywood star Deepika Padukone regaled the spectators with their songs and dance routines on a stage erected on the turf.
Prior to the one-hour showbiz, captains of all the eight participating teams � Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Gautam Gambhir, Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni � took the �MCC - Spirit of Cricket� oath to respect their opponents, their teams and the umpires.
The eight players also signed the �Spirit of Cricket Board� as an attestation to play the game within the spirit of cricket after an address by BCCI chief Shashank Manohar.
In line with IPL�s partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the captains of the franchises also affixed their autographs on a globe made of recyclable materials to demonstrate their commitment to reduce individual as well as the League�s carbon footprint.
