IPL 2021: Top 5 controversies in the history of the tournament

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is credited for being one of the most-watched sporting events in the world. The T20 franchise league is played over two months and is celebrated like a festival in India. There are viewers from across the globe, as the best international grade players go head-to-head in fierce battles. 

The league is a huge source of money and power for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). There is a huge broadcasting deal, there are sponsors, and most importantly there are millions of people watching. However, when something has such high interests, something bad or ugly can lead to a huge controversy. 

The IPL was launched in 2008 and right from the very beginning, it had some major controversies which had brought a bad name to the cash-rich league. However, the quality of cricket and the experience of watching as a sporting fan has increased even after that.

As the IPL 2021 nears, let us look back at the top 5 controversies in the tournament:

1. Cheerleaders controversy, 2008

In 2007, when the ICC World Twenty20 was played for the first time, one of the more fascinating aspects of the event was the introduction of cheerleaders. This was something that was synonymous with the American Football League or American Basketball. When the IPL started in 2008, BCCI also added this to the sidelines of the boundary ropes. 

But, this idea of foreign women dancing to cheer around the crowd wasn’t something that was appreciated by the conservative Indian society. Politicians and feminists outraged about this matter. Wizcraft International Entertainment which used to handle Kings XI Punjab (now renamed as Punjab Kings), got into a controversy when they allegedly didn’t allow two African-origin women, saying that they don’t take dark girls. 

The women further alleged that their employee had called them using racial slurs. However, no official complaint was lodged by any of the two women. They only spoke about racial behaviour once they had gone back home to London.