BANGALORE ROYAL CHALLANGERS AND KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS TO CREATE MAGIC IN IPL SHOW-OPENER

Bangalore Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders are to battle it out in the lung-opener of the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly are waiting anxiously to see how the city-based concept fares when the Bangalore Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders lock horns in opener of the multi-million dollar DLF Indian Premier League in the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium of Bangalore.
Both Dravid and Ganguly, leading the Bangalore and Kolkata outfits respectively, are in high hopes of outdoing the other.
Rahul Dravid said that it was a new concept and there will be a stiff competition in the event and it will bring in some freshness into the sport.
"It's fast paced and entertaining. But once the game starts the focus will only be on cricket," he added.
Dravid is waiting to see whether the Indian fans will accept the city-based rivalry with open arms.
Dravid's competitor Ganguly admitted that he could not figure out who was the favourite among the cities because of the nature of the T20 contest.
Ganguly said he considered this event as a contest between state sides with world-class players.
Dravid, who is leading the Vijay Mallya-owned Bangalore Royal Challengers team, said the event would raise the profile of the game.
Ganguly, leading the Kolkata Knight Riders team, said it's going to be a serious competition, given "so many big names, so much money involved in it", and there being a "question of reputation.
On the Royal Challengers being pitted against Shahrukh Khan's Knight Riders, Mallya said that Shahrukh Khan was a star and he wasn’t.
Malaya further said that entertainment enhances the sport, it supports the game.
Kingfisher is getting cheerleaders from the U.S for the matches and has planned a spectacular inaugural ceremony.