IPL 2025: Shah Rukh Khan, face of IPL entertainment from cradle to adulthood at 18 | Opinion

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The Indian Premier League turns an adult today. OK, before you think this is some naughty stuff, the reference is to how the world's most engrossing cricket/sports league becomes increasingly massive.

It is not just about cricket and commerce. There is energy, ambience, jiving. And when King SRK - Shah Rukh Khan -- leads the opening at the Eden Gardens tonight, despite a rain forecast for the KKR versus RCB match, fans will be driven into a frenzy.

SRK is the master of ceremonies in every sense. He has that ability to turn in something extra special on the big stage. As the lead hero of Chak De, who made people fall in love with women's hockey many summers ago, SRK was born to deliver.

This time, it is not about his own movies, which are fewer in number, but how he has been the face of KKR in many ways. That is, away from the field. Bollywood and cricket have been inseparable for decades.

Even in the good old days of pure cricket, legend Kapil Dev was wooed by Bollywood damsel Sarika. There have been many more romances, dating back to legend MAK Pataudi's days as well, when he romanced and married Sharmila Tagore. This is just one instance.

Sample the most viewed couple and one who face constant intrusion into their privacy, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, the cricket and Bollywood connect adds another layer.

Well, if it's IPL 2025 season time and Kolkata faces a rain threat, treat it as a good omen. Back to SRK, for someone who was born in New Delhi and moved to Bombay, now Mumbai, he has been one of the rock stars of the IPL. He has done many acts, from making even Didi Mamata Banerjee do a few jigs to his role of being a villain at the Wankhede Stadium, 12 years ago.

Even the Mumbai cops had to swing into action. Please don't remind SRK about it. He is chastised and now presents himself at best behaviour, a true patriotic Indian who was born to entertain. He will do it tonight as well rain or sunshine, err floodlights.

For millions of IPL fans who have treated the IPL as a balm to calm them in a busy, daily life, where stress and strain of work and making a living goes on, the event has a theraupetic effect. No exaggeration, even Bollywood fears a new film release at this time as the IPL can ruin it.

For the next few months, it is only going to be about cricket, fours, sixes, how the bowlers could get a slight advantage with a certain change in conditions like saliva use, a second ball after 11 overs in the second innings for a night match. For those who have talked of dew, there will be no dearth of fierce contests, where action on the field is matched by glitz and glamour in the stands as well.

If SRK is the heart throb for millions, how do you ignore pretty Preity Zinta, whose effacing smile and 'player hugs' with the Punjab Kings has lasted so long. These are the well-known names of film stars.

If you look at cheerleaders of the IPL, plus what happens after the match, there is more glitz and glamour in store as well. After parties may have banned, but they go on, unofficially.

How does one forget, once when KKR won the IPL trophy under Gautam Gambhir's captaincy, the wild, celebration party continued till 5am. Nobody will tell you all this, but the IPL today is serious cricket plus entertainment of many dimensions. So, what, if cheerleaders have been done away with, officially. They still throng hotel venues in each city which hosts IPL matches.

If one man has seen the IPL from cradle to adulthood, beyond the boundary, it is Shah Rukh Khan. Watch him lead the star parade tonight in Kolkata.