Can’t find it in IPL, Big Bash League dazzles fans with mid-innings jetpack show

The Big Bash League 2023-24 started with a bang Australia’s wait for the Premier T20 League of the country ended. While there is not much difference between the Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in terms of quality of cricket, the Big Bash League produced a moment unseen in the IPL when the Brisbane Heat introduced a mid-innings show with ‘Rocketman’ during the BBL opener.

The ‘Rocketman’, a man flying around the stadium in a suit, took his first flight in 2016/17 season. Brisbane Heat had announced before that match that they would be introducing ‘Rocketman 2.0’ for only one night during Brisbane Heat’s opening BBL encounter.

And the Rocketman didn’t disappoint either. He came, he saw and he flew. He had some spins around the stadium before finally settling in on a ramp inside the stadium amid a flurry of firecrackers in the background.

The ‘Rocketman’ is unlike anything seen in Indian Premier League. The opening and closing ceremonies in IPL are a huge affair, with crores of rupees being spent. In the IPL 2023 opening ceremony playback singer Arijit Singh performed along with some high-octane dance performances from Tamannaah Bhatia and Rashmika Mandhana.

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However, the IPL is yet to get its thinking juices flowing in terms of innovation in choosing the acts. IPL has rarely gone out of the ‘Bollywood’ mode while planning opening and closing ceremonies, with song and dance being the preferred performances.

It remains to be seen if IPL takes any lessons from BBL’s fan engagement strategy and comes with something of their own when the tournament gets underway in March.

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