Festival of India has Started. IPL Officially Open after a Grand Opening Ceremony

No other cricket event in the whole world brings as much oomph and panache to the sport as the Indian Premier League does. The T20 tournament brings together the superstars of the game in an epic festival of club cricket at its best. In its eight edition, the 2015 Indian Premier League promises to be even better with a star-studded opening ceremony at the Salt Lake Stadium declaring the tournament officially open. Here are the highlights from the ceremony.

 (All times in IST)

22 : 30: IPL 2015 is officially open! Bollywood stars make way for cricketing heroes as T20 extravanganza gets underway from tomorrow (Wednesday, April 8).

22: 28: Hrithik's performance gets the loudest applause as the actor's name is chanted by fans with energy.

22:22: Hrithik Roshan's energetic performance adds zesty touch to proceedings.

22:12: Farhan Akhtar's voice reverberates across the stadium as he comes out to perform with his band - Farhan Live!

22:03: Fans in Kolkata will always cherish memories that Ganguly gifted them. The former India captain keeps getting loud and repeated cheers.

21:52: Virat Kohli reveals a smile as girlfriend Anushka's performance comes to a spectacular end.

21:46: Anushka Sharma is greeted with cheer from spectators. She takes the stage with a graceful dance from PK and Jab Tak Hain Jaan numbers

21:42: Past winners of IPL remembered. Chennai have won the title twice while Kolkata have claimed the title as many times. Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals to the title in the inaugural season.

21:34: Shahid delivers an electric performance which ends with fireworks and laser lights.

21:28: Shahid Kapoor rides a bike onto the stage. Gets a massive applause. The actor, though, hits a ramp slightly. He then slips on the stage but recovers quickly.

21:21: Captains take the MCC Spirit of Game oath. They sign the Spirit of Cricket bat to uphold the spirit of the game at all times.

Captains of the 8 IPL teams are seen here at the opening ceremony. David Warner will replace Shikhar Dhawan once he reaches India.

21:16: Salt Lake stadium gives a loud welcome to Kohli and Dhoni but crowds absolutely erupt as home captain Gautam Gambhir walks out with the IPL trophy.

21:14: Massive applause as team captains make their way out. Rohit is the first, followed by Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy, Shane Watson and others.

21:12: Loud cheer for host Saif Ali Khan as the actor makes his way to the center of the stage.

21:10: Music director Pritam starts opening ceremony with a Rabindra Sangeet - Anandaloke.
Dancers wearing traditional bengali sarees dance to the famous song.

21:05: Everybody is working at fever pitch to start proceedings. A loud cheer across the stadium as stage lights are switched back on for one last test.

20:55:Rain has stopped and the start to the ceremony is expected in roughly 15 more minutes from now!

20:40: Did you know? Salt Lake Stadium has an artificial turf which means there is no chance of water getting stagnated here. Even the stages can be wiped off quickly enough for the ceremony to begin. For all of this though, it needs to stop raining though.

20:10: Rain is getting slightly light about now. The drenched stage is being cleared of water.

19:55: Farhan Akhtar urges fans to hang on. "We are all as anxious to get this event started. Once can't do anything against nature but our fingers are crossed," says the actor.

19:45: Unfortunately, no good news yet from Salt Lake Stadium as rain continues unabated. Word is that the ceremony can begin within half an hour of the rain coming to an end.

19:20: Sunil Gavaskar tells NDTV that IPL has maintained its interest over the years and across all age groups.

"People wonder what to do after 8 once IPL ends. There's ups and downs in everything but the tournament has maintained its level of interest."

1915: Umbrellas are out as all electronic equipments are being covered in a rush with rain getting heavier by the minute.

19:05: Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar talks to NDTV about which team has the best chance in IPL 7:

"It will be another fabulous event. Every team has done its homework from the last year. They have made the additions to their team looking at their shortcomings in the previous year.So, till we have to till we get an idea what the combinations look like very very tough to predict who is going to be the winner."

18:53: Frequent lightening and rain has delayed the start of IPL opening ceremony. Spectators here have been requested to wait for more details.

18:50: Earlier today, Chennai captain MS Dhoni reached Kolkata with wife Sakshi and baby daughter Ziva.

18:36: It has begun drizzling in Kolkata. While when it rains, it pours in this city, fans are keeping their fingers crossed that there is an exception to this pattern tonight.

18:25: Did you know? Hrithik Roshan - one of the star performers today - has an old and precious link with Kolkata. 

18:20: Earlier - on Monday, all eyes in Kolkata turned towards one couple. RCB captain Virat Kohli touched down in the city with actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma.

18:15: Fans are braving the weather and tight security measures put into place. The area around Salt Lake Stadium has been turned into a fortress but no number of checks can dampen the spirit of the passionate Kolkata fan.