IPL 8 officially open after starry but messy opening ceremony

* Hrithik Roshan steals the show with a jaw-dropping performance. He thanks Kolkata for all the love

* Farhan Akhtar rocks the stage with an energetic performance

* Anushka Sharma enthralls the crowd with a brilliant performance. And, the camera doesn’t miss to catch Virat Kohli’s reaction

* Shaky Shahid Kapoor performance. Almost fell off the bike and almost slipped on the stage. Outfield not ideal for front-foot play

* Loud cheer for Virat Kohli, louder for MS Dhoni but the loudest was for KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir

* After host Saif Ali Khan, captains make their way to the stage

* Sourav Ganguly says he was honoured to be part of the IPL for five years. Meanwhile, the music and lights come on at the Salt Lake. Moments away from the start now

* Good news! The rain has stopped. Update shortly

Right. The rain has stopped in Kolkata. We will be back with the next update at 21:00 IST. #PepsiIPL #OpeningNite

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2015

* Our columnist Harsha Bhogle feels IPL is the single greatest influence on cricket in the last decade. You agree? Read the full article here

* Earlier in Ranchi, MS Dhoni was spotted with his baby girl and wife Sakshi.

* The rain keeps the performers in the wings at the Salt Lake Stadium

* Here’s the latest from Salt Lake

* Staff covering the electronic equipment as the rain gets heavier in Kolkata

It is pouring down in Kolkata. The Pepsi IPL #OpeningNite has been delayed for a while. The next update will be out at 20:00 IST. Stay tuned

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2015

* Forecast not that great. Rain and wind expected to delay start of the ceremony

* The colourful Navjot Singh Sidhu is in the studio, and he has Shoaib Akhtar for company

* Saif Ali Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Anushka Sharma, Shahid Kapoor and Pritam will set the stage on fire

* The captains are ready, are you?

Catch the social buzz of the ceremony…

Hidden Gardens, thanks to KKR

Eden Gardens has got a purple makeover and this has made the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) see red. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have altered the stadium facade, hanging in a giant banner of Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis, Robin Uthappa, Sakib Al Hasan, Umesh Yadav and Piyush Chawla in their title-winning pomp.