Kolkata, April 22 (IANS) Glamour, business tycoons, Bollywood, drama and a crisp format! It’s a power-packed combo that has helped the Indian Premier League (IPL) draw women fans in huge numbers – even those who otherwise wouldn’t care too much about cricket.

Gone are the days when cricket stadiums during international matches were frequented mainly by men, with a few women seated here and there in the galleries.

Perhaps it was actress Mandira Bedi who started it when she hosted the popular show ‘Extra Innings’ in the 2003 World Cup with Charu Sharma, and arguably lured many women to the gentleman’s game. Lalit Modi’s IPL has only taken the process on the fast forward mode.

Several glamorous women own some of the IPL franchises. Bollywood beauties like Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty are owners of franchises Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively.

From Katrina Kaif – who cheers for liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore Royal Challengers – to Juhi Chawla – who is the co-owner of Shah Rukh Khan’s franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – women are becoming associated with the game more than ever before.

Bollywood diva Sameera Reddy confessed that she did not have any interest in the game earlier, but after coming to the Eden Gardens for a match between Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils, she was transformed into a cricket fan.

Sohini Bhattacharya, a management student from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, makes it very clear that she prefers IPL matches to One Day Internationals or Tests.

‘If I’m given an IPL ticket and an ODI or Test match ticket, I would obviously go for the first. The reason is IPL is less time-consuming and entertaining at the same time.

‘In every match you can expect a nail- biting finish. I enjoyed a lot when I went to the Eden Gardens. I would love to go for one more match. It’s worth it!’ said Sohini.

Deepasri Bhattacharya, a second year student of Journalism and Mass Communication, sings the same tune.

‘IPL is fast and fun. Look, life has become very fast nowadays and we cannot spend a whole day watching a cricket match. The X-factor is there in IPL. That’s what attracts the masses and women too!’ smiled the college goer, who has watched several IPL games this season.

‘The best part about IPL is that the home teams have a theme song and we get to dance and party! Just like ‘Korbo lorbo jitbo re’ for KKR!’ said Deepasri.

Some say the off-field controversies associated with IPL – be it the Shashi Tharoor saga or the past opposition to cheerleaders – are almost as dramatic as soap operas, igniting the interest of many women.

Sreelekha Mitra, a Bengali actress, loves the glitz and glamour of IPL. ‘IPL as a package has everything. Bollywood stars from Shah Rukh to Preity and Shilpa are all involved. This boosts its commercial side to a great extent,’ she said.

‘SRK is bringing almost the whole of Bollywood to watch KKR matches and that’s great. Perhaps that’s why women are so interested. The glamour quotient is high and that’s what attracts women.

‘Plus, T20 being a very short affair is another reason. The concept of cheerleaders, all women, is also a reason.’

Of course, there are those who still steadfastly refuse to be lured by the game, never mind the glitz. Actress and dancer Rimjhim Mitra said: ‘No I’m not interested in cricket. So the glamour of IPL has not changed my mind.’

(Debayan Mukherjee can be contacted at dbyn.mukherjee@gmail.com)