When the Indian Premier League was launched in 2008, Indian cricket fans got a first glimpse of cheerleaders on the sidelines even as the players went about their business.
Primarily included to add a dash of glamour to regular, sometimes mundane, cricket matches, these cheergirls are now part of the IPL scene.
To a lover of pure, unadulterated, cricket, the cheerleaders are a redundant addition, but for those who have come to know and love the IPL over the years, these 'sideline sensations' are a much-needed tonic to liven up the proceedings.
How would the IPL look if there were no cheerleaders gyrating to random numbers every time a four or a six is hit?
How would spectators pass time in the long (yes, every minute seems long, this is T20 for Pete's sake!) strategic time-outs while teams put their heads together to revive a match?
Not only glamour, cheerleaders have also called in for controversy.
Last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's headquarters in Mumbai was rocked by protests over the employment of foreign cheerleaders for the IPL.
The Delhi Daredevils decided to do away with cheerleaders.
In sharp contrast to that stand, a few years ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore team director Sidhartha Mallya said, 'If you take away the cheergirls, the after-match parties, etc, then there will be no difference between an IPL match and a Ranji Trophy or a Duleep Trophy game.'
Love them or hate them, you can't ignore them.
Rediff.com presents some of the beauties on the sidelines. You pick the cheerleaders' team you like best.
Please take the poll below and have your say.
