Cuttack: A grand opening ceremony has been planned for the Odisha Pro T20 League, ahead of the opening match between Bhubaneswar Tigers and Cuttack Panthers at Barabati Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The opening ceremony, to begin at 5 pm, will feature singer Ruturaj Mohanty, Sambalpuri folk dance, Malkhamb dance along with a musical performance by Nakash Aziz and a dance performance by Chitragandha Singh.
The winner’s trophy will then be unveiled by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries, before the cricketers take centrestage.
A total of eighteen matches – 15 in round-robin league stage, 2 semifinals and the grand finale – will be played at the Barabati from September 17 to 26. After Wednesday’s tournament opener from 7 pm, two matches will be played daily (2 pm and 7 pm) over the next eight days, and then the final on September 26.
For those interested in watching the matches at Barabati Stadium, entry will be free at selected galleries, Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) announced on Tuesday. They have to sign up for mobile tickets via Ticket Genie.
Spectators will be given free entry into the stadium at gallery Nos 1, 3 and 5.
Prize money
Six teams will be vying for the winner’s cheque worth Rs 50 lakh, while the runners-up team will receive Rs 25 lakh.
Player of the match in every game will be awarded Rs 10,000, and player of the series will be richer by Rs 1 lakh. The best batter and bowler of the league will be presented Rs 50,000 each.
Official ambassadors
The league, organised by OCA and managed by Arivaa Sports, announced two former Team India pacers Irfan Pathan and Odisha’s very own Debashish Mohanty as its official brand ambassadors for the inaugural season.
Sanjay Raul, another former international from Odisha, will be the match referee for the entire league. Raul, who played 2 ODIs for India in 1998, is a BCCI empanelled match referee.
All 18 matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports Khel and streamed live on FanCode, in Hindi and English.
An exhibition match will be played by the Odisha women’s cricket team on the final day of the league.