Bulawaa Aaya Hai": Shah Rukh Khan in the UAE on IPL

D-day is finally here. IPL 7 will start in all pomp and glory in the UAE but without the usual glitz associated with the event. In fact, it appears with all the controversies that have been the highlights of the IPL so far, the focus this year is solely on cricket. "Things are being kept pretty low key with not much information on the movements of the cricketers or the stars," said a source to Masala! Incidentally, there are a few private parties being planned by prominent citizens of Dubai for their cricketer friends though it's pretty hush-hush.

However, the team owners and cricketers seem to be extremely excited about playing in the UAE. Shah Rukh Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has already landed in Abu Dhabi and has been tweeting: 'The full moon has followed me from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi…so has its dark side. Nice to be here and seeing all my IPL buddies. Bulawaa aaya hai." He further tweeted: 'All nighter in Abu Dhabi. Haven't slept 2 days but I know it will be fun with the IPL players so hard work comes easy.'

King Khan will be joined by Deepika Padukone and Madhuri Dixit at the opening night gala dinner being hosted by the royal family at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi. While there were reports earlier that Madhuri and Deepika are likely to perform at the opening ceremony, Shah Rukh, it's said will be mingling and interacting with the guests. Adding to the glamour quotient perhaps will be Rajasthan Royal's co-owner Shilpa Shetty and Kings X1 Punjab's co-owner Preity Zinta. The invite-only dinner will be attended by VIPs, dignitaries and top international cricketers along with the seven IPL teams.    

The focus from tomorrow will entirely be on the cricket. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

At a press conference, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain said the challenge was to play good cricket in the coming days. "There are players who are coming from the Asia Cup in Dhaka, some even from New Zealand. The challenge is the ability to adapt and perform quickly."

UAE will host the first leg of IPL 7 consisting of 20 matches from April 16 to April 30. Starting on April 19, Dubai will host seven of the IPL's 20 UAE matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

source http://www.masala.com/bulawaya-aaya-hai-shah-rukh-khan-in-the-uae-on-ipl-164599.html