Guwahati, Sep 27: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will pay tribute to late Assamese music icon Zubeen Garg during the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 opening ceremony on September 30 in Guwahati.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said the ceremony, organised in partnership with the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), will precede the opening match between India and Sri Lanka. “This is the first time Assam is hosting a World Cup match. We appeal to the people of the city, the state, and the Northeast to join this historic occasion and pay homage to Zubeen Garg, who was loved by generations of music lovers,” he said.
Originally planned as a grand celebration, the ceremony has been scaled down following Garg’s sudden passing in Singapore on September 19. A 40-minute musical tribute will feature performances by Papon (Angarag Mahanta), Joy Barua, Shreya Ghoshal, and the Shillong Choir in memory of the singer.
The opening match is expected to draw around 40,000 spectators. With the match coinciding with Mahashtami during Durga Puja, special security measures and traffic management plans have been implemented.
The 2025 Women’s World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with matches also scheduled at Indore, Visakhapatnam, Navi Mumbai, and Colombo.