Harsha Bhogle claims he wouldn't have lasted long if he was new to commentary today

Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle is widely regarded as one of the greatest commentators of all time. The Hyderabad-born Mumbaikar, along with current Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, has narrated some of the most memorable cricketing moments for millions of fans this century, all within the confinement of a commentary box. For his meticulous approach towards the game, Bhogle has been endeared with a moniker, the ‘Voice of Cricket’ by fans of the sport. Quite recently, the 59-year-old interacted on a YouTube show Cric Cast where he chronicled his journey of becoming a cricket commentator.

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Harsha Bhogle talks about his rise in becoming a commentator

When asked about how he forayed into the world of commentary, Harsha Bhogle said that he saved a cassette of a university match for which he had commentated when he was just 18 years old. He gave the cassette to All-India Radio (AIR) at the time, through which he later got the opportunity to commentate for a Ranji Trophy match. He revealed that a certain Mr Baweja, AIR’s then station director, had heard his cassette and allowed him to dabble in commentary at the age of 19.

Harsha Bhogle later went on to work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1991-92. He revealed that at the time, he also wrote for different Indian newspapers because he was not paid for his duties at ABC since he was a visiting commentator. He also divulged that he used to write ghost columns for then active cricketers like Allan Border and Mohammad Azharuddin and did shoots for video magazines.

The cricket expert acknowledged that he was lucky to have received his gig at a time when retired cricketers had not joined the world of television commentary. Harsha Bhogle called himself “fortunate” and credited his experience of working with the Doordarshan network. He admitted that had he joined commentary today, he would not have landed a gig because of the arrival of retired cricketers behind the microphone.

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Harsha Bhogle talks about landing his commentary gig, watch video

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Sourav Ganguly and BCCI’s stance on IPL 2020

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly and Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) governing body recently green-lit the much-awaited T20 event. IPL 2020 was originally slated to launch on March 29 before the pandemic enforced a disruption to the sport. The IPL 2020 season will now commence on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Apart from commentating in international fixtures, Harsha Bhogle is also a prominent voice in IPL matches. For the upcoming IPL 2020 season, he is likely to reprise his commentary duties.

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Image courtesy: Cricket World Cup Twitter