From Shahrukh Khan to Anushka Sharma, IPL in UAE misses its Bollywood stars

India is obsessed with cricket so it’s only natural that the members of B-town are similarly keen watchers. Often, going to see a match comes with the added benefit of seeing a favourite star. This year however, with the tournament being held in the UAE behind closed doors as part of the COVID-19 precautionary measures, the celebs are few and far between. Here’s a look at some staples that are missing from action this year.

Shah Rukh Khan owns a team in the Indian Permier League (IPL) franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, in partnership with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband, Jay Mehta. This year, however, this partnership may have to communicate via Zoom.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli is married to Bollywood starlet - and mum-to-be - Anushka Sharma. But baby mamas may find themselves grounded, especially since the shadow of the pandemic looms so large.

One thing that connects B-town actresses Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone is IPL. Both were initially supporters of the same franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), previously owned by liquor Barron Vijay Mallya. Padukone was a supporter of RCB but left the tournament after her break-up with Siddharth Mallya and since then she stopped supporting IPL and RCB. Deepika has also been spotted backing Kolkata Knight Riders.

Abhishek Bachchan is another sports fanatic. The actor has always cheered for his favourite franchise, Mumbai Indians, every time they’ve gone on to the field.

Shilpa Shetty who rose to fame in the UK after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2007 - is also a massive cricket fan and and holds a stake in the Rajasthan Royals will also be missing in action.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is a Mumbai Indians’ supporter, and there are several photos of her donning MI jersey on social media.

‘Soldier’ girl Preity Zinta is a true sportsman. Despite the fact that they never won the championship, she has stuck by her team through thick and thin. Zinta is the owner of Kings XI Punjab.

Actor Akshay Kumar was the brand ambassador of Delhi franchise-owned IPL team Delhi Daredevils. Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri also support this lot.

Sunrisers Hyderabad don’t have many Bollywood stars supporting them, but they have a Tollywood, star base. Yami Gautam and Allu Shirish are supporters of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Tennis star Sania Mirza is also a supporter.

Chennai, meanwhile, calls celebs from South Indian movies supporters. Case in point: Vijay and Nayanthara were brand ambassadors of Chennai Super Kings.