As owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders Shahrukh Khan has moved heaven and earth to promote the team. And it stands to reason; with the Second season of the Indian Premier League moved out of the country, the teams could use all the extra publicity they can get.

But according to Shahrukh his purpose behind appointing cheerleaders is not only to publicise his team. He firmly believes that with some consideration and planning, cheerleading can be developed as a sport in itself; cheerleading has all the characteristics of a good sport: it demands immense physical fitness, flexibility and concentration, and the levels of competition can get intense too. He believes that there is no reason to undermine this activity. It is well known that in America, a game is never complete without a cheerleading routine. Cheerleading there is a full-fledged sport and comes with a huge fan following. It’s more than just a routine; it’s a competition in itself. Moreover cheerleaders are instrumental in grabbing the audience’s attention to the game and inciting participation. In a short, action packed sport like Twenty20 cricket the cheerleaders will be perfect to keep the adrenalin levels up.
In the first season of the Indian Premier League, cheerleaders served to bring colour, opulence and glitz to the games. But the concept faced flak from most traditionalists who labelled it as vulgar, indecent and as going against the sentiments of the nation. Then how is it that it will be any different this time? But Shahrukh Khan insists that if developed ethically sensibly and tastefully cheerleading can open up whole new avenues and opportunities for the youth.

The King Khan will personally choose the cheerleading team through a television show called ‘Knights and Angels’. Produced by Shahrukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment, it is India’s first ever reality talent hunt show for cheerleaders. From the proceeds of the show he will select six cheerleaders who will travel to South Africa for the upcoming matches. He believes that his show will bring propriety to cheerleading as a profession.
Source – cricket360.com