‘Nobody Accepted Me’: Mandira Bedi Says Cricketers ‘Stared Down’ at Her

Mandira Bedi used to host pre-match shows before cricket matches.

Mandira Bedi was the host for Set Max for the second season of IPL.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Actor Mandira Bedi recalled the days when she used to host pre-match shows at cricket tournaments. She said that nobody accepted her because they didn't like "a woman dressed in a saree talking cricket".

Mandira also said that people would often stared down by cricketers because of the questions she was asking.

Mandira told Pinkvilla, "Nobody accepted me to begin with, certainly not the people sitting on the panel. I'm friends with all the ex-cricketers now who I worked with back then as well but they didn't like that either. They didn't like that there was a woman wearing a saree, dressed up, talking cricket."

"Nobody fed me any lines, nobody fed me any questions. I was there to represent the layperson who doesn't know every technicality of cricket, who does not know every nuance of cricket," the actor added.

She added that she had the freedom to ask whatever questions she wanted to.

She said, "I was given that freedom. Of course, I got stared down by a lot of the cricketers like- what's she even asking, why is she even asking that. They answered whatever they wanted to answer nothing connected to my question and that can be very very intimidating but I kind of was assured by the channel, it was Sony, that backed me and chose me from 150-200 women."

"They said that we've chosen you with the reason we think you have what it takes to stay, so go ahead and be yourself and start enjoying yourself," she further said.

Mandira hosted the ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007 and the Champions Trophies in 2004 and 2006. She was also the host for Sony Max during the second Indian Premiere League.