A gala dinner will be hosted in the UAE ahead of the seventh season of the Indian Premiere League (IPL), instead of the usual opening ceremony. Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Deepika Padukone are set to perform at the event.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who is the son of the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, will host the gala dinner on 15 April at the Emirates Palace and it will be attended by Bollywood celebrities and several other VIP guests, according to Emirates 24/7.

SRK, co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise, will host the evening. Khan is busy with the shoot of his upcoming films but will take time out to attend the gala dinner and watch the first 2014 IPL match between Mumbai Indians and KKR.

The highlight of the gala dinner will be SRK, Nene and Padukone's performances.

The "Raees" star will host the event and will also dance to some of his hit songs. His "Dil Toh Pagal Hai" co-star Nene will join in him on stage and will perform a little act of her own, Emirates 24/7 reported, quoting a source.

Meanwhile, Padukone will probably dance to the hit song "Lungi Dance" from her blockbuster film "Chennai Express". She might also perform to hit tracks from her films "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani".

IPL 2014 will start on 16 April with the match between Mumbai Indians and KKR at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

(Edited by Vishnuprasad S Pillai)