বাংলায় পড়ুন
Away from the 22 yards of sheer adrenaline, beyond those stunning cheerleaders, amidst uncountable cheering spectators, there’s a voice so singularly strong that it can be heard above the unceasing din; the cricket-loving dames shouting themselves hoarse over their favorite players.
The Indian Premier League has brought out women’s budding love for watching cricket and now, this apparently male-centric game boasts of an almost proportionate female fan-base. Over the years, IPL has amassed immense popularity among women. Notwithstanding the fact that Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have protracted the concept of Wonder Woman through cricket, the excitement levels of our maa-pishi-bandhobi have increased manifold over the years since the advent of IPL. Is the deviation from lackluster soap operas to “Set Max ta khol ebaar baba…” a mere result of changing glamour quotient? Well, India’s first female cricket anchor, Mandira Bedi’s association with IPL suggests that, against all odds, women representation, even by the virtue of spectatorship, is inevitable. After Archana Vijaya and Shibani Dandekar’s charismatic hosting, Rochelle Rao, Pallavi Sharda and other stellar anchors have held the format of grace constant in the charged up game, hence a spirit of kinship is shared throughout the nation – an ulterior approach to feminism. Apart from celebrity worship and ogling attractive cricketers, there’s more to female presence in the stadium. Perhaps, when Lynn or Dhoni hits a six, the happiness that a woman feels is sublime. Devoid of sexism, it is just a reflex to a highly entertaining sport.
The regional, the national and the international- IPL has incorporated universality to this game. Quite assuredly, this year will also see a fresh surge of interest from the fairer sex; enhancing their timeless love for cricket.
