Katrina Kaif and Preity at IPL Shoot

Rajasthan Royals has come up with five fan categories: Maharaja Club, Captain’s Club, Royal Lions Club, Royal Bugles Club and Young Royals Club, under The Royals Army membership programme. The membership fees start from Rs 2,500 and go up to Rs 1.5 lakh. This month, the Royals kick-started contests like Royals Diva, Kaptano Ke Kaptan, Boundary Ka Baadshah, Toss Ka Boss and Googly-Shugly for its fans. Raghu Iyer, chief marketing officer, Rajasthan Royals, says, “This is one of our initiatives for our fans to get to know the players better.”

The team has also chalked out extensive licensing and merchandising plans that will cover India, the US, the UK and Australia.

WATCH OUT FOR: This time the cheerleaders for the team won’t be dancing on the field, but will be sitting in the captain’s lounge wearing Rajasthan Royals T-shirts and pagdis. The team will also have a new jingle called Halla Bol. A promotional DVD with a video featuring Shilpa Shetty will be out on March 20.

The Daring Lot

No cheerleaders or brand ambassadors this time for all you Delhi fans. “Akshay Kumar is busy shooting and no one else fits the bill. Cheerleaders are not a priority,” says Amrit Mathur, vice-president, Delhi Daredevils, explaining the absence of both. The coordinators have, however, planned some on-ground entertainment for their fans. “We’re looking at having various acrobatic and musical performances on the field to engage the audience,” says Amrit.

WATCH OUT FOR: Following the launch of a major fan club on March 2, members can avail special tickets and coaching sessions with the team.

Charging ahead

The Deccan Chargers team believes in keeping it professional. “Cheerleading is a profession. So, we will be flying in a professional troupe from abroad,” says Darshan M, vice-president, commercial operations, Deccan Chargers. Talking about the look of the group, Darshan says, “The performers will bring their costumes and we will work around that design,” says Darshan. The brand managers for the team are also looking at having a lot of on-ground promotional activities.

WATCH OUT FOR: Activities to engage college-level fans. The promoters also plan to have on-field musical performances.

Balle Balle!

The Kings XI Punjab team’s objective is two-fold and simple. “We’re trying to reach out to our fans across the region and generate interest about the team, leading to ticket sales in areas closer to our stadiums. This year, we aim to involve every fan interactively in everything we do through a world-class website, which is undergoing changes at the moment,” says a spokesperson.

WATCH OUT FOR: Jhankar — the Punjab University Festival and the Fan Zone.

Riding a challenge

This time the Royal Challengers Bengaluru plans to play it safe when it comes to cheerleaders. “We’re flying in a team of cheerleaders from abroad that’s been selected by Vijay Mallya. Their look will be glam and contemporary, yet sensitive to local sensibilities,” says Vijay Rekhi, president and managing director, USL. Katrina Kaif will be the brand ambassador.

WATCH OUT FOR: Cheerleaders who will be performing acrobatic routines.

Here come the Knights

Joy Bhattacharya, director of Kolkata Knight Riders says, “The idea of our new show Knights and Angels is to increase the fan base.” Up to six cheerleaders will be selected from the show and the costumes will be within the limit of decency, says Joy. “They should also be passionate about the team,” he adds.
WATCH OUT FOR: A new set of uniforms and a King Khan jersey.

Mumbai Meri Jaan

The team is still planning its promotional activities and also looking at various options for the team’s cheerleaders, a national dance troupe being one of them.

All the King’s men

The strategy for the Chennai Super Kings is simple: woo fans. “We’ll select the top four cheerleaders from the different groups auditioning for the job,” says Rakesh Singh, marketing head, Chennai Super Kings. The team has chosen three agencies to design the costumes of the cheerleaders. “Our cheerleaders will follow the tradition and values of our country,” says Rakesh.

WATCH OUT FOR: This time along with Sivamani, there will be four more drummers positioned at different corners of the field to add a dramatic effect to the theme song. Also look out for Junior Super Kings.