PSL opening ceremony costs PCB nearly Rs25 million

The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicked off on Thursday with a glittering opening ceremony at the National Stadium Karachi.

The 20-minute ceremony in Karachi cost nearly Rs25 million, Geo News reported, citing sources.

Compared to the star-studded events hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the past, this time only singers Atif Aslam and Aima Baig performed the PSL anthem 'Agay Dekh' live at the opening ceremony.

The event began with a video of PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja and Prime Minister Imran Khan, where the latter announced the opening of the game followed by a documentary highlighting the journey of cricket in Pakistan, featuring a voiceover by Raja.

Paragliders also descended from the sky at one point, making a clean landing in the stadium.

More than Rs200 million was spent on last year's virtual PSL opening ceremony.

Some bits of last year's opening ceremony were recorded in Turkey, Istanbul, and aired on TV due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, 20% crowd was in attendance.