Rajasthan Royals coming to Lord's

Date released: 28 June 2009

The reigning Champions of the English Twenty20 Cup, Middlesex Panthers, are to play the 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL) Champions, the Rajasthan Royals, in a Twenty20 match for the British Asian Trust, one of the Prince of Wales' charities.

The match will take place at 4:30pm on Monday 6 July 2009 at Lord's.

The day will bring the 'glamour of Bollywood' to the traditional Home of Cricket in a celebration of the best of the Indian and English games.

With the pick of Bollywood entertainment, the finest Indian and English cuisine and, of course, the best Twenty20 cricket from two teams that dominated their leagues last year, this is a must-see event.

The first match in the UK to feature an IPL team is a great opportunity for British cricket fans to get a taste of the IPL excitement - cheerleaders included!

South Africa captain Graeme Smith is part of the Royals' squad It is also a chance for a new audience cricket fans to come to Lord's and see top players such as Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Yusuf Pathan, Munaf Patel, Tyron Henderson and Owais Shah in action.

The organisers hope the combination of these stars, and a Bollywood extravanganza with Shilpa Shetty between innings, will attract not just members of London’s large Asian population but also families and schools to The Home of Cricket and see the ground transformed for this historic match

Ticket incentives

There is a range of ticket incentives for spectators:

• Adult tickets are available for only £20
• Families booking two adults and one under 16 ticket will get another under 16 ticket free. Combined with the early booking discount, that is only £45 for a family of four

For schools and cricket clubs that purchase tickets:

• For every eight children's tickets purchased, one adult ticket will be included free

Vinny Codrington, Chief Executive of Middlesex County Cricket Club said: "Middlesex are thrilled to be involved in such a prestigious charity match.

"We were all disappointed not to have gone to the Champions League last November, so the chance to match the 2008 champions of England and the Indian Premier League in aid of the British Asian Trust is a huge honour, and the players are really excited by the opportunity."

Manoj Badale, Chairman and co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals said: "After receiving a lot of support in South Africa, we are looking forward to coming to Lord's and the English crowds. Lord's is a really special ground, and this is a great opportunity to bring the magic of the IPL to the UK."

Keith Bradshaw, Secretary & Chief Executive of MCC said: "MCC is delighted that Lord's will be the first English ground to host an IPL team. Players like Shane Warne and Graeme Smith have graced Lord's before and it will be a great opportunity for fans to come to The Home of Cricket and see them work their magic in a Twenty20 match.

"Lord's is the stage the best players want to appear on and I am very much looking forward to a little piece of India coming to St John's Wood on Monday 6 July."

Bollywood glamour: Shilpa Shetty Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL said: "We are delighted to see the inaugural Champions of the IPL playing against the English Champions in such an innovative event."

Shilpa Shetty, the most recent addition to the ownership group of the Rajasthan Royals said: "I am looking forward to seeing the Rajasthan Royals play in London. After the great reception we had in South Africa, I'm sure the British crowds will come out to support the Royals. To play the game at Lord's will make it extra special, and the UK is a country dear to my heart."

Warne: "No better place... than Lord's" Shane Warne, captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals said: "There is no better place for a cricketer to play than Lord’s, and to get to play the reigning English Champions after the cancellation of last year’s Champions League is a great opportunity for the team."

Shaun Udal, Middlesex captain said: "Some of our players have experienced the IPL first hand, and this is a great opportunity for all of the guys who missed out on the Champions League, due to last year’s terrorist attack in Mumbai."