5 Dark sides of Indian cricket that no one will tell you about

Objectification and harassment of IPL cheerleaders: IPL cheerleaders have confessed in interactions with the media and personal blog posts that they have been subjected to sexual advances and objectification during cricket matches

Pay disparity between men and women’s cricket: The gap in pay is staggering, with Grade A male cricketers earning INR 5 crores per year, while their female counterparts receive a mere INR 50 lakhs for the same grade

Limited opportunities for women in Indian Cricket, a stark contrast to male counterparts: The post-retirement phase for male cricketers seems to be a golden time, with lucrative positions at government offices providing them with lifetime pensions. However, when it comes to women cricketers, opportunities are limited, with Indian Railways being the only company offering them employment

Underrepresentation of backward castes in Indian Cricket: The skewed representation in Indian cricket is evident, with Brahmins and the upper class constituting a staggering 33% of the team, despite comprising only 4% of the country's population

Shockingly, in the entire history of Indian cricket, only three Dalits, namely Eknath Solkar, Karsan Gavri, and Vinod Kamble, have had the opportunity to play internationally for the country

The indignity of labour in the sport: While cricket as a game generates massive wealth, the on-ground labour who toil tirelessly to prepare the pitches are left with meager paychecks

Ground workers today still earn a paltry 15-20K per month, painting a stark picture of inequality in the world of cricket. Courtesy: Audible.in