Shreya Ghosal pays heartfelt tribute to singer Zubeen at World Cup

Guwahati: The 14th Women's World Cup opened on a dazzling note at the ACA Barsapara Stadium here, with the ceremony featuring a moving tribute to Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg.

During the mid-innings break of India-Sri Lanka game, renowned Bollywood singer Shreya Ghosal captivated the 25,000-odd spectators with a 13-minute performance dedicated to Zubeen, blending a medley of his hits with the World Cup theme song, 'Bring It Home.' The stadium echoed with chants of "Joy Zubeen Da!" as fans waved banners in homage to the late singer, whose untimely death on September 19 in Singapore had plunged the state into mourning.

The emotional high point of the glittering ceremony came when Shreya concluded her performance with Zubeen's iconic song Mayabini Ratir Bukut.

The song, which the late singer had wished to be sung by his fans after his death, reverberated through the ACA Barsapara Stadium.

Fireworks also lit up the sky, adding a celebratory contrast to the somber tribute.

The Assam Cricket Association had redesigned the opening ceremony to honour Zubeen blending the festive spirit of Durga Puja with the state's grief.

"The match is being held on the cusp of two extremes -- mourning for Zubeen Garg and the peak Durga Puja festival (Maha Ashtami)," BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia said.

"We wanted the opening ceremony to pay homage to the son of the soil.” Five thousand tickets were reserved exclusively for members of the Zubeen Garg Fan Club, while 10,000 complimentary passes were distributed, ensuring his fans could be part of the historic moment.

Before the start of the match, the BCCI also felicitated former stalwarts of Indian women's cricket to celebrate the growth and legacy of the game.

"Zubeen Da will always remain with us. He is Assam's No. 1 icon. We may not have seen Bhupen Hazarika, but Zubeen was one of us, relatable and close to our hearts," said a 23-year-old hotel management student.

Fans sported jerseys of Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj, while many also used the occasion to remember Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with their jerseys spotted across the stands.

Twelve former captains were honoured: Shantha Rangaswamy, Diana Edulji, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Purnima Rau, Nilima Joglekar, Anjum Chopra, Sandhya Agarwal, Pramila Bhatt, Chandrakanta Kaul, Mamtha Maben, Mithali Raj, and Anju Jain.

Former Test and ODI cricketer Sudha Shah was also felicitated.

The contributions of Neetu David (former Chairperson, Women's Selection Committee & ICC Hall of Fame recipient), Renu Margrate (Member, Women's Selection Committee), and Shyama Dey (Member, Women's Selection Committee) was also acknowledged.