Meet the cheergirls

From queens of controversy to darlings of Indian advertising. But two years since their debut, you still don’t know who they are
Then come the girls. Twenty bleary-eyed figures take up their spots in the modest lobby. Some try napping on the couches while their managers work through check-in formalities; some stand on the hotel stairs and smoke. Most have something to complain about: They haven’t been able to sleep for more than 4 hours yet again, they’re hungry, it’s hot, their phones are acting up.
The cheerleaders, who auditioned in South Africa but have been culled from various countries, have been in India since the first week of March, when the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off. They’ve acquired cotton “Alibaba” pants and chunky silver jewellery. These jostle for space with GAP T-shirts and Louis Vuitton fakes on their petite frames.
Even a couple of weeks away from the end of the season, the girls have hectic schedules. Two groups of 20 girls each travel across the country for daily matches. Two league games each day means that both cheerleading groups work every day.
On an average day, the cheerleaders wake up at 6am, take a 9am flight for their next destination, check into a hotel at noon, grab a quick bite—a nap, if they’re lucky—before getting dressed to make an early entry into the stadium to avoid crowds. Slap that schedule with after-hour parties, and what you have is a 20-hour day.