Shah Rukh Khan’s Hosting At IPL 2025 Opening Ceremony Fails To Impress Reddit Users: 'Cringe'
Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), took center stage as the host for the IPL 2025 opening ceremony on Saturday.
Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), took center stage as the host for the IPL 2025 opening ceremony on Saturday. The superstar was joined on stage by Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Virat Kohli, whom he affectionately referred to as ‘bhai’ multiple times during the event.
While the star power was undeniable, Shah Rukh’s hosting skills didn’t seem to impress everyone. Reddit users, in particular, were left unimpressed, with many calling his hosting ‘cringe’ and suggesting that the actor appeared unprepared.
A Redditor shared a picture of Shah Rukh and Virat from the ceremony with the caption, “Why is it so hard to watch SRK in today's ceremony?” This sentiment was echoed by several others, who expressed disappointment over his performance.
Netizens React to SRK’s Hosting
“VK is respectfully letting uncle do his cringe. It's like when you encounter bride ka chacha or mama drunk on the dance floor, you will react in this same way,” quipped one user, comparing the interaction to an awkward family function.
Another remarked, “I don't know who gave SRK the idea of hosting shows... I know he does it for money cause he himself said it, but every show he hosts becomes biased and all about his star power. I miss those days when actual hosts hosted and made fun of the attendees, being actors and actresses.”
Why is so hard to watch Srk in today's ceremony
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Another user took a jibe, saying, “It's funny how he's always hogging the limelight, and when his bowlers are getting murdered, the camera has never focused on him once.” One person even commented that Virat Kohli seemed eager to leave the stage, writing, “Virat wanted to get down asap.”
Criticism of the Ceremony Itself
It wasn’t just Shah Rukh’s hosting that drew flak; many users also criticised the overall execution of the opening ceremony.
“True. The whole opening ceremony was shit. Neither of those song and dance performances were good. Very lackluster. As if opening h kuch krna h toh bss kr diya,” remarked one user, expressing dissatisfaction with the event’s entertainment quotient.
Some attributed the underwhelming show to poor planning. “I think none of them thought that the ceremony would actually happen as there was rain forecast. So less practice and shit show it is,” opined one user.
Another reflected on the repetitive nature of such events, saying, “I am guessing because there's such an overload of cricket and Bollywood entertainment now that everyone's become mechanical. Even they know that the audience knows that the celebs are in it just for the money. Both great art and great sport require some breaks in between. Even the audience's minds need a break.”
Defending SRK’s Efforts
Amidst the criticism, a few users came to Shah Rukh’s defense, suggesting that he was working with limited scope. One user analyzed the situation, stating, “Here is the script for today’s ceremony. He has almost no scope to do anything beyond calling ppl on stage and interact a bit which he can’t do much if the cricketers themselves r shy or haven’t rehearsed a pre-planned skit. (It's live he can’t throw interactive curveballs at the players). Still, he tried to infuse some juice in this dry event planned. And hyping Kohli as king of 22 yards and billion hearts and bowed to him and said he is only player to stick to one team etc.”
An optimistic fan remained hopeful that Shah Rukh would eventually prove his critics wrong. “The term and name Shah Rukh Khan has sadly deteriorated from what it used to be. People find behaviour’s like his to be filled with narcissism (I’d hate to be proven wrong). I used to love everything about him at one point, but now he gives me an irk that I cannot even explain. I wish what Shah Rukh is becoming today is just a dream.”
Post-Ceremony Highlights
Following the ceremony, IPL 2025 kicked off with KKR facing RCB in the opening match at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Despite the enthusiasm and morale-boosting session Shah Rukh had with his team ahead of the game, RCB emerged victorious in the inaugural clash of the 18th edition.
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