No fairytale is ever a fairytale without the presence of some dark matter in it. That is what makes the protagonists of the story special as he continues to battle everything that’s unethical. Despite all the entertainment that the IPL has given over the years, none of us can disregard the other side of the coin which has been in focus for the last five to six years.

From match-fixing allegations to teams getting banned for their alleged involvement in bettings, this tournament has made cricket a great money-making source for the BCCI, but sometimes in the wrong way. Are the authorities striving hard for a change? Well, that’s a question that remains rhetorically answered but the implications of it are yet to be palpable.

This side of the IPL has been in news for several seasons and in the last couple of seasons, we have heard lesser stories. Having said that, the foreign cheerleaders, who come in from different countries like the United States, Russia, Australia and other nations from Europe, have found it difficult to perform in front of the Indian audience.

Some cheerleaders also accused the IPL governing council to be racist, as almost everyone selected for this job are white women. They have raised concerns about how men in the stands look at them, objectifying what they wear and what they do. They also have to adjust prolifically with their accommodation, as the team managements have not provided them a proper place to stay.

In 2011, cheerleader Gabriella Pasqualotto raised her concerns over the flirtatious parties that are organized by her employer, Mumbai Indians. She had spoken out against all the parties that were going on through her blog and reportedly, a lot of players had privacy concerns with this blog. A change did come in this regard as the communication between players and cheerleaders was completely scrapped from then on.

Here are five dark secrets from the IPL, which have continued to tarnish the tourn.