WATCH: Fans slam IPL 2023 broadcaster for 'Hot or Not' segment featuring Mayanti Langer and other female anchors

'Hot or Not' IPL 2023 pre-match show (Source: Twitter)

The craze of the world's biggest cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL), is immense, but it's not just the matches that captivate the audience; players' press conferences, post & pre-match shows on broadcast, and match analysis add spice to it. Hence, it won't be a surprising if broadcasters come up with new ways to engage and entertain their viewers. However, one such attempt from the IPL 2023 official TV broadcaster of the IPL 2023, Star Sports, did not go down well with the fans as it seemed to cross the line.

A pre-match show titled 'Hot or Not' for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) battle featured four female anchors of Star Sports, including Mayanti Langer, one of India's most prominent sports presenters. Hosted by male anchors Suren Sundaram and Bollywood actor Vidyut Jamwal, the show felt a bit too much for a cricket show and especially with female guests.

Shirtless pictures of cricketers like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Andre Russell were shown on the screen, and the female anchors were asked to play swipe right or left based on their hotness. The anchors, including Mayanti, who is married to former Indian cricketer Stuart Binny, participated in the segment but looked uncomfortable.

Several fans expressed their displeasure with such unwanted content prior of an IPL match by sharing show snippets. "Is this a Cricket related show or what....Starsports u are disgrace," one user tweeted. "Just reverse the situation with male anchors rating female cricket players and we will have a sexual harassment and objectification allegation ready," a second user opined.

Check out the video and some fan reactions:

Is this a Cricket related show or what....Starsports u are disgrace#ViratKohli #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/gCygfzX8ga

— I am NEGAN (@IamNEGA62524296) May 18, 2023

Star with their 'Hot or Not' segment in today's pre-match show clearly embarrassed themselves.

Imagine asking a senior anchor and married woman like Mayanti Langer to pick sides for a junior fellow like Shubman Gill. She was clearly uncomfortable. #NotDone#IPL2023

— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) May 18, 2023

What is this @Sanjog_G

Just reverse the situation with male anchors rating female cricket players and we will have a sexual harassment and objectification allegation ready.

Star Sports is in a deep mess https://t.co/XHcSWBEpd1

— Monica Verma (@TrulyMonica) May 18, 2023

Couldn't record the full segment because I just cringed so hard, but Mayanti herself looked uncomfortable when put on the spot. Who's the big brain behind these ideas? Do they have no sense whatsoever? Or are they going to just keep pushing the envelope with whatever nonsense

— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) May 18, 2023

Sexualisation of athletes, irrespective of gender, is not okay. And leaving it at that.

— Sa. Gomesh | ச. கோமேஷ் (@SaGomesh) May 18, 2023

Kohli-du Plessis record partnership helps RCB beat SRH

Talking about the SRH vs RCB match, the Bangalore-based franchise edged themselves closer to the IPL 2023 playoffs after securing an eight-wicket win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH were already out of the tournament but a win was crucial for RCB to keep them alive in the competition. Batting first, SRH posted a highly competitive total of 186 on the back of Heinrich Klaasen’s blazing century.

In reply, Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis got off to a brilliant start and went on to put up a record partnership of 172 runs to bring them closer to victory. Both the openers were on song throughout the chase, where Kohli notched up his sixth IPL century and du Plessis slammed his eighth half-century of the season.