Odishatv Bureau

New Delhi: The 11th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League is going to start from April 7 with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings.

Prior to the prestigious T20 cricket league, IPL launched its anthem for the 2018 edition on Monday.

The anthem has been released in five languages -- Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Kannada and Telugu -- across all platforms (TV, radio, and digital).

For the very first time in the history of the tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Star India collaborated to create the anthem for this edition’s campaign. This anthem puts a spotlight on the battle of the best in world T20 cricket.

The music and lyrics of the video ‘Best vs Best’ encompass the spirit of the Indian Premier League.

A talented ensemble of artists worked on the anthem -- South African filmmaker Dan Mace, music director Raajeev V. Bhalla and vocalist Siddhart Basrur, who sung the anthem in five different languages.

"The very essence of IPL is a thrilling, action-packed celebration of cricket where the best of talent take on each other in one of the most gruelling cricket tournaments in the world. It is a fantastic celebration of both the game and its millions of fans across the world. The Best vs Best campaign endeavours to showcase the pinnacle of cricket that this tournament is associated with," said Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director, Star India.

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said: "Given that we are now ready to embark on the next chapter for the Indian Premier League with the start of the 11th edition, the BCCI, in collaboration with Star India, has worked on co-creating a large multi-media campaign focussing on the 'Best vs Best'."

"We hope this campaign spurs the non-cricket viewing public to engage more deeply with the IPL 2018 like never before," he added.

(With agency inputs)

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