Anticipate a visual spectacle and opulent extravaganza as India prepares to clash with Australia in the culminating event of the World Cup 2023 at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this Sunday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled a comprehensive schedule of events and notable personalities gracing the grandeur at the world’s largest cricket stadium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to attend the final, accompanied by a grand air show by the Indian Air Force. Former World Cup-winning captains Kapil and Dhoni will be in the stands, joined by luminaries from the realms of entertainment and politics.
The Suryakiran Indian Air Force aerobatic team is set to grace the occasion with a performance following the toss at 1:30 pm IST, promising a 15-20 minute aerial spectacle. During the first innings drinks break, Aditya Gadhavi, the acclaimed Gujarati singing sensation from Coke Studio, will serenade the audience.
The intermission promises heightened grandiosity, featuring performances by renowned Bollywood music composer Pritam and vocal talents Jonita Gandhi, Nakash Aziz, Akasa Joshi, Tushar Joshi, and Amit Mishra. A contingent of 500 dancers from Mumbai is expected to elevate the entertainment quotient with choreographed routines to popular Bollywood tunes.
The BCCI plans to confer special blazers upon all World Cup-winning captains from 1975 to 2019, including cricket legends Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, MS Dhoni, Michael Clarke, and Eoin Morgan. Notably, certain captains like Morgan and Ponting are already in India as part of the commentary team.
While the guest list encompasses luminaries of the cricketing world, there remains uncertainty regarding invitations extended to Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga and Pakistan’s Imran Khan, both World Cup-winning captains in 1996 and 1992, respectively.
As the excitement builds, the stadium is expected to be adorned in an ‘Ocean of Blue,’ mirroring the fervor seen throughout India’s World Cup campaign. The burgeoning counterfeit industry, mirroring jersey numbers 18 and 45 for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, attests to the fervent support on the streets.
This forthcoming spectacle is poised to be an ‘Evening to Remember,’ and only time will reveal if Rohit Sharma and his team can transform it into an ‘Evening to Savour.’ Stay tuned for the latest World Cup updates, live scores, and in-depth coverage on the Hindustan Times Website and Apps.
