IPL 2023: 'Hot or Not' segment featuring Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill lands Star Sports in soup

Official IPL 2023 broadcaster Star Sports is facing flak from netizens following a pre-match show on Thursday where female anchors including veteran broadcaster Mayanti Langer, were asked to swipe left/right to shirtless photos of male cricketers.

Slamming the segment called ‘Hot or Not’, social media users have called out the blatant ‘objectification’ of male players.

‘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,’ one user wrote.

Twitterati also raised another issue that come to the fore in such segments with one user saying, 'This is the pits. And this is exactly why women's knowledge of traditionally 'male' sports isn't taken seriously.

The female anchors too looked uncomfortable as pictures of Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Andre Russell among others flashed on the screen.

Another user expressed their displeasure saying, ‘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.’

The show was hosted by Suren Sundaram and featured Bollywood actor Vidyut Jamwal as well.

While one said that ‘trying to be cool has its limits.’

Star Sports is yet to issue a statement on the backlash.

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