After a few minutes, Star Sports, the official broadcasters in a bizarre manner, made an announcement that the ceremony would not be broadcasted and was exclusively for in-stadium fans.
The BCCI and the host broadcasters faced severe backlash from netizens after the pre-match musical extravaganza featuring renowned artists like Shankar Mahadevan, Arijit Singh, and Sukhwinder Singh preceding the toss of the India-Pakistan World Cup 2023 match was limited only for in-stadia fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The grand ceremony was initially scheduled to commence at 12:30pm, and when the broadcast of the pre-match show did not start on time, it lead to confusion among viewers who were uncertain if there was a delay.
After a few minutes, Star Sports, the official broadcasters in a bizarre manner, made an announcement that the ceremony would not be broadcasted and was exclusively for in-stadium fans.
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“The ceremony at the Narendra Modi Stadium before Match 12 of ICC Men’s CWC 2023 (India vs Pakistan) has been planned for in-stadia fans. The ceremony is not for broadcast,” Star Sports mentioned on social media.
The sudden announcement came as a dampener for the fans, who vented out their frustration through social media platforms.
The BCCI had earlier decided to do away with the traditional opening ceremony before the first game, and later announced to have a special ceremony before the high-octane India-Pakistan match. But their bizarre decision to limit viewership of the ceremony has left fans in a bad taste.
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