Being A Cheerleader Is About Being Sexualised And It’s Not Fun. Here’s Why

I was still a scrappy teenager when IPL first hit television screens across India in 2008. I was never into sports but I was still exposed to the matches extensively. Whether it was playing at home after my father came back from work, or at a friend’s birthday party where all the boys were glued to the TV watching them, it was an instant phenomenon that had people hooked.

While a lot has changed over the years about the league, one thing has remained constant… the baffling existence of an IPL cheerleader. This poorly implemented version of authentic cheerleaders has been under the scanner and has faced plenty of  criticism. Here’s the thing, Cheerleading is an actual sport. Originating in the United States, this sport is part of many national tournaments, with athletes competing professionally to win titles. Whereas, at the IPL, the cheerleaders are reduced to mere props and glitzy eye-candies that aren’t deserving of more than a couple of camera pans and constant heckling by the audience.

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They Are Paid Poorly

IPL cheerleaders are notoriously underpaid as compared to other professionals. Their fees are fixed on a per match basis and it is criminally low. Yes, they’re not actually playing the sport but the money they rake in is abysmally low. If their respective team wins, they can be handed a small bonus as well. IPL is more about entertainment than the spirit of the sport, shouldn’t all the entertainers involved in this be paid the same?

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They Are Overly Sexualised

A traditional cheerleading outfit made of adorable pleated skirts, stockings and a well-fitted sweat top or jacket was created to help ease movement for the dancers. IPL cheerleaders, on the other hand, are overly sexualized for no apparent reason, with a lot of skin show and unnecessary accessorising to make them more “appealing”. So every time the ball crosses the boundary, the audience is subjected to flying skirts and pictures of the shorts underneath. Maybe give them pants?

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They Are Treated Badly

We have come across quite a few testimonials from IPL cheerleaders detailing about the way they are treated while performing for a season. From lewd comments thrown at them by the audience to mismanagement of their living conditions by improper management teams, it’s not all rosy for them. One cheerleader even admitted to trash being thrown at her fellow dancers, an act they have no option but to shrug off.

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They Have To Fulfil Unrealistic Expectations

Being told to smile all the time is exhausting, more so when you have to do so it for an hour long game in the hot summer months! IPL cheerleaders are expected to keep up their energy every time they have to do a routine, in addition to the hours of rehearsals they are put through on a daily basis.

We are in the 12th year of IPL, isn’t it about time things were made better for the cheerleaders?