~ During the BookMyShow Live-produced Ed Sheeran: +–=÷× India Tour, Sheeran joined Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande for a friendly cricket match with young players in Bengaluru, sporting a custom-made new season jersey featuring the number ‘23’ and the name ‘Warne’ – a heartfelt tribute to his late friend, Shane Warne ~
National, February 11, 2025: What happens when one of the world’s biggest musicians steps into the heart of India’s favourite sport? A moment of pure magic. Check out the video here.
On Sunday, February 9th, 2025, global music icon Ed Sheeran, currently in India for the BookMyShow Live produced multi-city +–=÷× India Tour, swapped his guitar for a cricket bat, stepping onto the field with Rajasthan Royals’ stars Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande, ahead of his second performance in the Bengaluru. But this was no ordinary meet-and-greet; it was a celebration of sport, music and a shared love for the game, all tied together by a jersey that carried deep significance.
Ed Sheeran: + – = ÷ x Tour 2025 in India is promoted by AEG Presents Asia and BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow.
Sheeran, a self-professed admirer of cricket’s energy, received a custom Rajasthan Royals jersey – but this wasn’t just any team shirt. Emblazoned with the number ‘23’ and the name ‘Warne’, the legendary cricketer and Sheeran’s late friend, the jersey was a heartfelt tribute to the man who had left an indelible mark on both the sport and the Royals franchise. The special moment came courtesy of Riyan Parag, one of Rajasthan Royals’ brightest young stars, who presented Sheeran with the first training jersey of the season – never seen before! Elated to receive this jersey, Ed Sheeran said, “Oh wow! With Shane on the back!”
If the jersey was a symbol of history, the day’s next event was all about creating new memories. In an unexpected halftime twist at the Brijesh Patel Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, Sheeran, Parag and Deshpande stepped onto the field to surprise 20 young cricketers for a friendly game. “Let’s go play some cricket,” said Sheeran. Decked out in his newly gifted Royals jersey, Sheeran enthusiastically took part in the match, proving that while his hands are more familiar with strumming chords, they weren’t too bad at gripping a bat either. The kids, stunned to see a global superstar join their game, quickly found themselves bowling, batting and laughing alongside him. For the young players, it was a surreal moment – one minute, they were playing an ordinary academy match; the next, they were fielding against one of the world’s biggest musicians.
This exceptional meeting highlights the dynamic and ever-growing synergy between entertainment and sports. The Indian Premier League (IPL), a global phenomenon renowned for seamlessly combining top-tier cricket with world-class entertainment, continues to cultivate cultural collaborations that resonate across industries.
As Rajasthan Royals gear up for an exhilarating season, this unforgettable encounter with Ed Sheeran serves as a powerful reminder of how cricket and music have the unique ability to bring people together from all corners of life. It creates lasting memories while inspiring the next generation of athletes and artists alike.
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About BookMyShow
Launched in 2007, BookMyShow, owned and operated by Big Tree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (founded in 1999), is India’s leading entertainment destination with global operations and the one-stop shop for every entertainment need. The firm is present in over 700 towns and cities in India and works with partners across the industry to provide unmatched entertainment experiences to millions of customers. Over the years, the company has evolved from a purely online ticketing platform for movies across 7,000 plus screens, to end-to-end management of live entertainment events including music concerts, live performances, theatricals, sports and more, all accomplished at par with global standards. Some of the key properties that BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, has brought to its markets over the past few years include Lollapalooza India, Backstreet Boys’ DNA World Tour, Post Malone’s debut India show at the Feeding India concert, U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour, NBA’s debut games in India, Disney’s Aladdin, Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR as also international artists such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber to name a few.
BookMyShow is invested in providing the best user experience, whether on-ground or online and to that effect, launched BookMyShow Stream, India’s largest home-grown transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) platform hosting award-winning and critically acclaimed content from around the world, complementing its cinemas business. BookMyShow also houses India’s most extensive organic reviews and ratings engine for movies and has driven technology innovations, such as the m-ticket and Movie Mode, impacting tens of millions of users and the industry at large. With continued support from marquee investors like TPG Growth, Stripes Group, Elevation Capital (formerly SAIF Partners), Accel and Network18, BookMyShow has constantly demonstrated category leadership, growing beyond India with operations in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE and Sri Lanka. BookMyShow is also committed to society at large, by way of its charity initiative BookASmile, which supports special causes to enrich the lives of the less fortunate across India through entertainment-led experiences.
Media Contacts:
BookMyShow: media@bookmyshow.com
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