Shah Rukh Khan and other celebrities add star power to WPL opener

Mumbai Indians clinch last-ball win over Delhi Capitals in Bengaluru

Royal Challengers Bangalore's captain Smriti Mandhana with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan during the opening ceremony of 2024 Women's Premier League at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, February 23, 2024. AFP

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan performs during the opening ceremony of 2024 Women's Premier League in Bengaluru. AFP

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan performs in Bengaluru ahead of the opening match of the 2024 WPL between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. AFP

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan with RCB captain Smriti Mandhana and others during the opening ceremony of the 2024 WPL. AFP

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor performs during the opening ceremony of the WPL in Bengaluru. AFP

Delhi Capitals' captain Meg Lanning during the opening match of the WPL at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. AFP

Mumbai Indians' Sathyamoorthy Keerthana in Bengaluru. AFP

Mumbai Indians' Sajeevan Sajana after taking a catch to dismiss Delhi Capitals' captain Meg Lanning. AFP

Delhi Capitals' Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey scored a bulk of the runs in a first-innings total of 171-5. AFP

Delhi Capitals' Alice Capsey made 75. AFP

Delhi Capitals' players celebrate the dismissal of Mumbai Indians' Nat Sciver-Brunt. AFP

Mumbai Indians' captain Harmanpreet Kaur, centre, and teammate Amelia Kerr take a run. AFP

Delhi Capitals' players celebrate after the dismissal of Harmanpreet Kaur. AFP

The 2024 Women's Premier League got off to a flying start in Bengaluru on Friday night with Bollywood stars and a last-ball finish enthralling fans.

Actor and IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was among the stars who performed during a glitzy opening ceremony.

The league opener between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals turned out to be just as entertaining.

All-rounder Sajeevan Sajana hit a six to give defending champions Mumbai Indians a thrilling last-ball win.

Sajana took the crease at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with Mumbai needing five for victory in a rerun of the inaugural season's final last year. Sajana then danced down the track, hitting a maximum and sealing a four-wicket win.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur had been caught at long on for 55 after attempting a boundary on the penultimate ball, adding to the nerves.

It was an unforgettable moment for Sanjana - the 29-year-old captain for state side Kerala, who had been scooped up by Kaur's team in December at the bottom end of the player auction price band.

Earlier, England all-rounder Alice Capsey top-scored with 75 as Delhi made 171-5. She received good support from Jemimah Rodrigues, who made 42.

It was the perfect start for the WPL which hosted its first edition in 2023 and has already proved popular with fans and a lucrative earner for India's cricket board.

Franchise rights were auctioned off last January for $572.5 million, while media rights for the first five seasons were sold to Viacom18 for $116.7 million.

The WPL is now the second-most valuable women's sports league after the WNBA women's basketball in the US.