IPL Openeing ceremony with Redskins Cheerleaders

Indian Premier League’s first match will kick off on Friday (April 18) at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the first match, Malaya's Bangalore Royal Challengers will take on King Khan’s Knight Riders. Guess who is cheer leading the Royal challengers! The Washington Redskins cheerleaders. They area a delight to watch even if the match turns out to be dull, which I doubt.

The opening ceremony to launch the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 tournament will witness fireworks, aerial gymnasts, performers in a bubble suspended over the ground and some Bollywood glitter with presence Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta along with the music trio of Shankar- Ehsaan and Loy.

And it wasn't only the Royal Challengers who sweated it out for the opening tie. The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders too were seen practicing for the Twenty20 League.

The Redskins cheerleaders deemed as the 'first ladies of football' will be on duty for the Royal Challengers through the Twenty20 League.

Redskins cheerleaders

The best in the world of professional cheerleading will be creating a new era in a new world.

The Redskins Cheerleaders will travel to India on April 10 to create the first-ever cheerleading squad in that country for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, part of the new Indian Premier League (IPL). The inaugural game is April 18.

The Redskin Cheerleaders will stay to conduct a national audition of Indian women. The squad's choreographers will remain with the Royal Challengers until the end of the season in mid-June and conduct clinics throughout India.

The Royal Challengers cricket franchise is owned by Dr. Vijay Mallya, through his company Royal Challengers sports private limited--a 100 percent subsidiary of United Spirits Limited.

Cheerleaders in cricket is a new concept in India, although teams from South Africa and Australia have had cricket cheerleaders.

Twelve cheerleaders and two choreographers will spend 18 days touring the country and performing at major events, and to cheer at the first four games on the Royal Challengers.

President Venkat Vardhan of DNA Networks, the largest event and entertainment promoter in India and the producers of the IPL pregame and in-game entertainment, introduced cheerleading to the IPL.

Vardhan contacted his long-time partner George Veras, President of Veras Communications and former Vice President of Broadcasting and Productions for the Cleveland Browns, to get the ball rolling.

VCI has had a relationship with DNA Networks since 1997, when VCI produced the worldwide TV special, "Yanni Live at the Taj Mahal."

"Cheerleading is a unique American spirit and the fact that it now is a bridge into India and their national sport cricket, speaks to the world vision of the Washington Redskins and DNA Networks," Veras said.