3ft tall, crown-shaped trophy has been made of five kg of silver. It also has gold-plated base and studded with semi-precious stones. Exquisite silver filigree work has added to its attraction. Master artisan Devendra Sahu of Cuttack’s Mansinghpatna area took around 18 days to craft the Rs 5lakh trophy

Cuttack / Bhubaneswar, May 22: A spectacular and vibrant opening ceremony showcasing finest and oldest dance forms of the state marked the launch of the first edition of the Orissa Premier League (OPL), the state’s very own Twenty20 cricket league.

For the inaugural match, Katak Barabati Tigers met Bhubaneswar Jaguars at their home ground, Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The hosts won the toss and captain Biplab Samantaray elected to bat first.

Earlier, the OPL ushered in with a grand and glittery opening ceremony as the stadium erupted with rapturous cheers and traditional tune of sankha dhwani, sarala ghanta, sankha mahuri and ranapa (stilt) dance. Besides the classical and folk dance, a vibrant blend of modern dance and music made for a dazzling inauguration.

It was a treat for the nearly 5,000 spectators who turned up at the stadium for this mega event organised by the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The jubilant crowd witnessed a colourful ceremonial parade by the 10 teams participating in the tournament. Around 60 women cricketers, clutching tricolour flags in hand, led the parade. Apart from the players, coaches and managers, franchise owners, celebrities and brand ambassadors of individual teams were also part of this.

Actor and OPL brand ambassador Anubhav Mohanty set the tone for the evening by performing on the OPL theme song composed in Oriya. Singer Rehan Ali belted out popular Bollywood songs to entertain the crowd.

Post the toss, the evening sky was lit up with a dazzling display of fireworks and pyrotechnics. “I have come to Cuttack only to be a part of the opening ceremony of the much-awaited OPL. We hope to see some Oriya players in action in the next IPL season,” said Subhit Sahu, a young spectator, who came from Dhenkanal.

A total of 10 teams are participating in the first edition of the OPL. Moreover, OCA is the first association in the country to host the Twenty20 extravaganza in five different venues. Earlier, Karnataka and Jharkhand cricket associations had hosted similar tournaments in which the matches were played at a single venue.

Brand OPL is now worth over Rs 5 crore following the auction of teams and players besides other revenue in the form of advertisements and sponsorships.“It is a great feeling to see how the entire event has turned out to be. OCA is grateful to all the franchises for their overwhelming response,” said OCA secretary Ashirbad Behera.

All the franschises are also upbeat over the prospects of the OPL. “We are not looking at profits from the first year itself. The returns will certainly come in subsequent editions when the OPL gets more popular with the number of participating teams and venues going up from the next season,” said a franchise owner.

All the players of the 10 participating teams along with team owners, players and brand ambassadors were also felicitated on the occasion. Indian national cricket team member Pragyan Ojha, the brand ambassador of Kashvi Power Rangers, was also part of this function.

Unveiling the OPL trophy, sports minister Badrinarayan Patra said: “We hope OCA’s initiative would help in promoting cricket. The state is committed to the development of all sports.”