India’s T20 carnival Indian Premier League (IPL) fuses glamour with cricket. The cricketing spectacle, which is currently in its ninth edition, brings a plethora of stars together who provide total entertainment to the cricket fans. But, apart from the high-voltage cricket, the IPL has also seen beautiful ladies anchoring the Extraaa Innings T20. These alluring women have made cricket fans drool over them and keep them glued to the television sets while they interview players and analyse the game during the pre-match and post-match shows. So, here in this article, we bring to you the list of 10 Female anchors who have graced their presence in the IPL.
1. Shonali Nagrani:
Shonali Nagrani has been an active cricket show host since 2006. The former miss India International has acted as a presenter with ESPN and Star Sports and has covered various cricketing events like Champions Trophy, 2007 Cricket World Cup, 2009 ICC World T20. She joined Extaaa innings in the inaugural season and continued to present the show for four years.
2. Lekha Washington:
Chennai girl Lekha Washington is an actress Model and VJ who has appeared in several mainstream South Indian and Bollywood Movies. She is of mixed heritage; her father Kenneth is of Burmese, Italian, and Punjabi ancestry while her mother is a Maharashtrian, She signed on to anchor the inaugural season of the IPL. Lekha admitted that she was not a cricket buff but the actress-model did a lot of research to prepare for the role, going through cricketing journals and sought help from former cricketer Ajay Jadeja, to perform her job well.
3. Mandira Bedi:
After having a successful career in TV serials, Mandira Bedi further enhanced her reputation as a household name by hosting cricket shows with great success. She has hosted 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups before signing for the second season of the IPL in 2009. Unfortunately, she was dropped for the panel in the next season
4. Archana Vijaya:
Model and television host Archana Vijaya was first seen in the IPL during the fourth edition in 2011 and continued till the 2015 season of the tournament. Archana has is a familiar face among cricket fans having hosted cricket shows like ‘Tour Diary for Extra Cover” and Cricket Masala Maarke.”
5. Shibani Dandekar:
Shibani Dandekar is a multiple talented female. A singer, model, actor and VJ by profession, Shibani hosted five editions of IPL starting from 2011 to 2015. The Pune-born television personality began her career with American television before returning to India to feature in various popular commercials and reality shows.
6. Karishma Kotak:
Karishma Kotak is a British-Indian model; she was associated with the IPL in the 6th season. Karishma featured alongside Rochelle Rao and did only one season before quitting. She began her career as a model in the UK before shifting to Mumbai. She went on to feature in the famous Kingfisher Calender and did some famous commercials before appearing as the cover girl on FHM (India) in the April 2013 issue, captioned “IPL’s hottest presenter – Karishma Kotak”.
7. Mayanti Langer:
Mayanti Langer, the better half of Indian cricketer Stuart Binny, is arguably the most famous sports anchor in the country. Mayanti regularly hosts sports shows for Star Sports and ESPN. She began her career anchoring various Football shows, providing commentary and interviews during the matches. She switched to cricket after being roped in by Star Sports to host the pre-match, post-match shows for 2011 Cricket World Cup hosted in India. Soon, the sports journalist became a popular face among cricket fans for her appealing nature and knowledge of the game. She was involved with the IPL for just one season in 2014.
8. Rochelle Rao:
One of the two new faces to join Extraaa Innings this year, Rochelle Maria Rao was previously seen in the 2013 edition of the IPL. Rochelle is a former Femina Miss India International and has also graced the Kingfisher calendar in 2014. She has also featured in television reality shows. Rochelle is most notably remembered for her time in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 and Big Boss season 9.
9. Pallavi Sharda:
Pallavi Sharda, the other new face of the 2016 IPL, is an upcoming actress who is quite active in Hollywood and as well as Bollywood. The 28-year-old made her Bollywood debut with a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan Blockbuster ‘My Name is Khan. She hails from Australia and was also seen in the Big Bash League where she was a part of a cultural event.’