“Oye chuna laga diya” - Fans erupt as Star Sports confirms no pre-match ceremony for TV audiences ahead of IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup match
Amid huge anticipation among television audiences, the official broadcaster of the 2023 World Cup, Star Sports, confirmed that the pre-match ceremony for the IND vs PAK match is only for the stadium audience.
The shocking announcement came at the last minute as people glued to the TV screens and mobiles to watch the performance of Bollywood singers and composers like Arijit Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, and Shankar Mahadevan.
On October 12, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared the details about the special ceremony – ‘A musical odyssey.’
Unlike the Indo-Pak clash, the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League 2023 was broadcast to TV audiences at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad earlier this year.
Star Sports wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):
“The pre-match ceremony for the #INDvPAK game today will not be televised as it is only for the stadium audience. We have you covered for the rest- the match, the highlights & everything in between!"
Fans on X expressed their disappointment at the news and blamed the BCCI and the broadcasters. One user shared a meme that read:
“Oye chuna laga diya.”
Here are some more reactions:
Star Sports loses rights for BCCI's international games to Sports18
Star Sports recently lost the TV and streaming rights of BCCI’s international games for five years to Viacom 18 (Sports 18 and Jio Cinema). The latter also owns the streaming rights for the Indian Premier League and TV and digital rights for the Women’s Premier League.
Star Sports, however, still owns the TV rights of the IPL till 2027. Zee and Disney+Hotstar, meanwhile, have bagged the TV and digital rights for ICC events from 2024-27. Thus, they will also cover the ICC 2027 World Cup, scheduled to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October-November that year. The tournament will expand to 14 teams, unlike 2023, which features only 10 teams.
As far as the match is confirmed, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan. Shubman Gill replaced Ishan Kishan in the playing XI.
Babar Azam and Co., on the other hand, fielded an unchanged side.
Follow IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup live coverage here.