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Time of India

From the field to commentary, Gujarat cricketers keep fans entertained

Vadodara: Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More would often chatter behind the stumps when a batsman nearly edged the ball or barely survived a delivery during a match. More has now retired, but his catchy and humorous phrases are still a hit among cricket fans listening to his commentary while watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) games on a streaming app. While spectators cheer for batsmen smashing sixes or bowlers delivering toe-crushing yorkers, the analysis in regional languages by More and other former and current cricketers from Gujarat keeps fans hooked to the game online. "I do commentary in Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi and sometimes English too. It's a different experience but equally exciting as we are in the thick of things while narrating whatever is happening on the field," More, who did multilingual commentary for three years, told TOI. "We observe the players, explain their techniques and provide historical anecdotes of interesting matches. What surprised me was that people listen to the commentary keenly, give feedback and sometimes point out mistakes too," More said. Another former India cricketer from Vadodara, Atul Bedade , is also a multilingual commentator in the IPL. "Doing commentary in Marathi and Hindi is fun as regional languages offer a rich vocabulary and idioms that I often use. While it may seem easy, commentary is a tough job as we don't just narrate what happens on the field but also analyse and give insights," Bedade said. Manpreet Juneja, a first-class cricketer for Saurashtra, doesn't just offer analysis but also adds a fun element with witty phrases such as "Raas pachhi dandia, aaya Hardik Pandya" or "Hai huku haay, ball 6 run maate jaaye". "It's not just about serious analysis. We must make commentary interesting and fun to listen to for online spectators. I love it as it brings out that creative side in me," said Juneja, who is a Punjabi but does commentary in Gujarati and Hindi. He added that he never criticises players or their game and always tries to focus on positive aspects of the sport. "Fans can see what's happening on the field, so the challenge is to narrate the game in an interesting way. I try to look at the game from the bowler's perspective and add my experience to the commentary. It has given me a new perspective. Gujarati is also spoken in various accents across the state, so I try to speak in a manner that is liked by all," said Bhargav Bhatt, a Baroda Ranji player. Former Baroda pacer Rakesh Patel and Saurashtra first-class cricketer Sheldon Jackson are also doing commentary in the ongoing IPL.