Many slips between the bat and the hip

The IPL after-match parties are hot, with the best of designers showcasing their latest collection and the hottest models walking the ramp, in what could be the only way to ‘unwind’ after a nerve tingling finish on the field.

It has the team owners, their fleet of friends and of course, the cricketers who party hard into the wee hours and have their share of booze and women.

Every IPL party has its share of gate-crashers too, most of them women from influential backgrounds and who are ready to literally bare all to have a good time. Yet, the IPL fan-following has not diminished and people continue to throng every match and do all they can to get an invitation to these after-parties. It’s prestigious to be seen with the who’s who and the extension of the deadline for the IPL party is an added attraction.

All the glamour is good but what goes on inside these parties is a different scene altogether. Cricketers cosying up with women and sometimes even with popular actresses is always a talking point among party-goers. And people who have been there and done it all have interesting insights to share.  

Cricketer Rahul Sharma, who plays for the Pune Warriors India, was candid enough to admit how much he enjoyed attending the parties in Bangalore. “Though I don’t drink or smoke, I do enjoy the IPL parties as there is so much energy there.”

Rachana, a young professional who went for one such after-match party two years ago, recollects, “The sight was sickening. From Ronit Roy (actor, whose security company also managed the IPL parties) standing on top of the table and screaming to control the crowd, to barely clad young girls desperately trying to get into the party, it really made me wonder if going there was worth it. It took us an hour to get in. Once I got inside it was chaos all over again. That’s when I decided that these parties are just hype and nothing else.”

While Rajiv Shukla has been claiming that there are no ‘official’ IPL after-match parties, the truth is different. The parties are on and are held after every match. According to a source, who works for an event management company that handles these parties, this year’s parties have been most organised. “Entry is only by invitation. More cricketers are attending the parties unlike previous years and no amount of ‘bad publicity’ has hampered the turnout at the venue. Women, who come, go gaga over the cricketers,” says the source.

Prasad Bidapa, who conceptualises the Signature IPL after-match parties, says, “The cricketers come in to have a good time and they do. They’re left to unwind, get on stage and do a little jig and perhaps, walk the ramp as well. Those who come here are only by invitation and they’re allowed to mingle with the cricketers, who oblige without a second thought.”

Different stroke

Fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla, who attends most of the parties, points out, “Just to clarify, these are all Signature IPL after-match parties and have nothing to do with the IPL. The cricketers like to party. They will go wherever there is a party, whether there is an IPL or no IPL. They need a break and there’s no better way to relax.”

Another regular to all the IPL parties sums up, “What’s good is that you get a chance to get up close and personal with the cricketers and click pictures with them. You see a different side of the cricketers when they’re off the field.” 

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