In a first for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the national anthem was played before the start of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday evening.

The ceremony was a tribute to the Indian Army in honour of Operation Sindoor, which was conducted on the nights of May 6 and 7.

This operation was a retaliatory response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

As the national anthem echoed through the stadium, players from both KKR and CSK stood in respect.

The big screen at Eden Gardens displayed a message of national pride that read, “Proud of the Indian Armed Forces.”

The tribute came hours after the Indian armed forces launched 24 precision missile strikes on nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), including strategic locations such as Muridke and Bahawalpur - strongholds of terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

As for the match, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings.

KKR were dealt a blow with their Rs 23.75 crore star Venkatesh Iyer missing the crucial game due to injury.

CSK, already out of playoff contention, made several changes, including the return of R. Ashwin and handing a debut to uncapped opener Urvil Patel.

It is a virtual must-win scenario for KKR to keep their playoff hopes alive.