ILT20 2025: Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, and Sonam Bajwa to light up opening ceremony

The ILT20 Season 3, to be broadcasted on ZEE, is poised to grip the spectators and the fans across the world with a glittering opening ceremony, headlined by Bollywood megastars Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, and Sonam Bajwa. Their mesmerising acts will ignite the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, 11 January 2025, starting at 7:30 pm IST.

Shahid, Pooja and Sonam will kick off the celebrations with spectacular performances to their blockbuster songs followed by an exquisite display of fireworks to enthral spectators. Adding further glitz to the occasion, renowned Bollywood producer and actor Jackky Bhagnani and Ridhima Pathak will emcee the opening ceremony.

Shahid Kapoor, speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, said “If you know me, you know how much I love cricket and dancing. And when the two things come together, you can expect to get the best of both worlds, which is why I’m really looking forward to being a part of the opening ceremony of the International League T20 on 11 Jan 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium.”

Also Check: ILT20 2025: Schedule, Squads, Live Streaming, Broadcasters & All you need to know

The opening evening promises a unique fusion of Bollywood's finest and the pinnacle of T20 cricket, set against the stunning backdrop of the DIS, famously known as The Ring of Fire. Ticket sales for the season opener have been phenomenal, with a packed stadium set to enjoy a special Saturday evening at the DIS. The opening ball of the season will be bowled at 8:45 pm IST, as defending champions MI Emirates face off against Dubai Capitals in a thrilling rematch of last year's grand finale.

The third season of ILT20 will run from 11 January to 9 February 2025

The six ILT20 franchises have retained T20 superstars like Andre Russell (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Sunil Narine (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Alex Hales (Desert Vipers), Sherfane Rutherford (Desert Vipers), David Warner (Dubai Capitals), Rovman Powell (Dubai Capitals), Chris Jordan (Gulf Giants), Shimron Hetmyer (Gulf Giants), Akeal Hossein (MI Emirates), Nicholas Pooran (MI Emirates), Adil Rashid (Sharjah Warriorz Wildcard Pick in Season 2) and Johnson Charles (Sharjah Warriorz).

England white-ball great Jason Roy (Sharjah Warriorz) returns to the league after making two appearances for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders last season.

Former West Indies captain Jason Holder will appear for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the all-rounder played for the Dubai Capitals last season. England’s explosive opener Phil Salt and Pakistan left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem have also joined the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Additionally, Tim Southee (Sharjah Warriorz), Fakhar Zaman (Desert Vipers), Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals), Lockie Ferguson (Desert Vipers), Roston Chase (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Matthew Wade (Sharjah Warriorz), Ibrahim Zadran (Gulf Giants) and Romario Shepherd (MI Emirates) are set to make their ILT20 debuts in Season 3.