IPL 2014: 5 Things to watch out this season

By Pritika Ghura
With the seventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL 2014) all set to begin in UAE on April 16, we bring you five things to watch out in this cricket tournament. IPL is associated with glamour, money and controversies, and hence it is one of the most talked about cricketing event of the year:The sizzling hot WAGS: Get ready to beat the scorching heat as the glamour quotient is all set to rise this IPL season. This year we will see some new faces along with some old, with actresses, models, TV presenters and sportswomen all set to add glamour in this sporting event. Hence, we might see the super sexy Anushka Sharma, rumoured to be dating Virat Kohli, cheering for the stylish cricketer as he leads the Bangalore team. Giving tough competition to Anushka is the gorgeous Neha Dhupia, who is allegedly dating Yuvraj Singh. Though she has maintained the 'just-friends' stance, it will be interesting to see her cheering for Yuvraj. Other sizzling WAGs are Geeta Basra, who is dating team Mumbai spinner Harbhajan Singh; MS Dhoni's wife Sakshi; Lee Furlong, who is Shane Watson's wife, and Jessica Taylor, who is in a relationship with team Delhi’s key player Kevin Pietersen. It will be interesting to see these beauties cheer for their lovers and also increase the glamour quotient of the IPL this season.

Shah Rukh Khan's charisma: Bollywood's superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. He is very active during the tournament and is often seen cheering for his team during the matches. His star power and charisma enhance the glamour quotient of the tournament. Also he gets his friends like Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra to cheer for his team and motivate his team to perform well. The superstar is all set to perform at the inaugural ceremony of IPL in Abu Dhabi. Other Bollywood stars who own IPL teams are- Shilpa Shetty (Rajasthan Riyals), Preity Zinta (Kings XI Punjab) and Juhi Chawla (Kolkata Knight Riders). However, rumours are doing the rounds that Salman Khan too has shown a keen interest in owning a stake in one of the teams. If this comes true, then will it be another face-off between Shah Rukh and Salman on the cricket ground.

IPL presenters: While the stars and WAGS club might increase the glamour quotient of the tournament, it is the IPL presenters who add the fun quotient and keep you informed through out the tournament. This year Samir Kochhar, Gaurav Kapur, Shibani Dandekar and Archana Vijaya are set to present the flagship match analysis show Extraaa Innings T20, joined by cricketers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ajay Jadeja, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Rameez Raja, Arun Lal and Isa Guha. These presenters not only interview the cricketers before and after the matches, they also give you gossip, tidbits of info inside the dressing room and also keep you entertained by their wit, humour and style.

IPL foot-tapping track: While last year you grooved to Dil Jumping Zapak Jumpak Jumpak, this year you will go crazy with Buckram. This year Vishal- Shekhar havw composed a catchy collar-up mnemonic Buckram for the viewers. While the hosts and the presenters have already started swaying their hips to this catchy number, reports suggest that they will urge the cricketers to give interviews with their collar up and also urge IPL fans to watch the matches with their collars up. These IPL tracks become a rage among youngsters over the years and they go viral instantly as ring tones and caller tunes. So what are you waiting for? Wear your dancing shoes and get up to shake it up at this year's IPL.

IPL Controversies: IPL has always been about 3Cs- cricket, cash and controversies. Ever since the prestigious tournament started in 2008, it has been embroiled in controversies. From slapgate to match-fixing, IPL controversies are one of the most discussed thing during the tournament. Some of the controversies surrounding our B-Town celebs are: SRK scuffle at Wankhede: SRK has been handed a five-year ban from entering the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai by the Maharashtra Cricket Association. The association has charged him with voluntarily hurt and criminal intimidation of stadium staff during an argument when the actor allegedly turned up drunk for a match.Vindu Dara Singh's involvement in match-fixing: Actor Vindu Dara Singh was arrested for suspected links with the spot-fixing scam in the IPL tournament. Vindu was accused of having links with Ramesh Vyas, one of the bookies arrested in the scam.Will this season be rocked by controversies too? Tune in and find out.