A commentary is an expression or providing the explanation about an event or performance that happens. When it comes to cricket commentary, Harsha Bhogle is master in it.
Other commentators are ex-cricketers move from the pitch to the commentary booth but Harsha Bhogle is an outsider. Harsha is very different because he deeply understands the game, unique with his words, a quick wit, while the other commentators read the game that they played. Bhogle is a die-hard fan of cricket.
Harsha Bhogle Early Life
Harsha Bhogle was born on 19th July 1961 in a Marathi speaking family in Hyderabad. He is an Indian cricket commentator and journalist. He is the son of A.D. Bhogle and Shalini Bhogle and they both were professors. He went to Hyderabad Public School and did his B.tech in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University’s College of Technology at Hyderabad. He also received a PGDM from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.
Harsha worked in an advertising agency and at a sports management company. Harsha is married to Anita and they live in Mumbai with their two children. This couple runs a sport-based communication consultancy called Prosearch. They also written a book named ‘The Winning Way’ based on knowledge obtained from the sporting world. Harsha authored a biography of Mohammad Azharuddin.
Harsha Bhogle started his career as a cricket player for the APCA (Andhra Pradesh Cricket Association) and played small level cricket. Then he started commentating at his 19th age in All India Radio. In 1992, he was the first Indian commentator invited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He worked for ABC Radio Grandstand and he worked as a part of the BBC team for eight years. Since 1995, he has been presenting live cricket commentary for ESPN STAR Sports and he became the part of ‘few good men’ commentary teams. He has been covering all Indian Premier League at that period.
Why Harsha Bhogle is the best Indian Commentator?
He started his commentary when there are few good commentators on overseas networks. He is widely acknowledged not only for his voice but also for his face of Indian cricket. When he placed his feet on television, he became the superstar of the game even though he was not an actual player. He is a commentator with keen observation skills, has good cricketing knowledge and also he is an entertaining package. He has the capability to attract the viewer’s attention with his smile, politeness, good humor, and his words are sparkle with intelligence and wisdom.
Works Underwent by Harsha Bhogle
- Harsha Bhogle commentated 100 test matches and 400 one-day internationals.
- He also did commentary in the football World Cup of 2006.
- He has hosted the final T20 World championships and presented a travel show on BBC World.
- One of the popular School Quiz Olympiad was hosted by him.
- From the day of ESPN launched he has been the face of it, that also drew him to Star Sports and Star Cricket. These channel telecast signature programs like Harsha Unplugged and Harsha On-Line.
- ESPN called Bhogle to host the program titled ‘Harsha ki khoj’ which is named after him to attract his best talent.
- He commentated over 400 hundred one-day internationals, a hundred test matches and closely associated with T20 cricket, 6 IPL tournaments, 5 champions league, and 5 T20 World cups.
- ‘Step Out with Harsh’ is his video blog which is very popular and he has more the million followers on Twitter.
- He also worked in brand commercials for Pepsi, Airtel, Sugar-free, Hero-Honda, Tata – AIG and he has done brand promotions for IBM, Cadbury, Vodafone.
- Now he is a brand ambassador for Castrol and Boehringer Ingelheim which is a stroke awareness.
Intelligent Quotes of Harsha Bhogle
If decibel level was a factor in winning a match, India won’t lose a single match ever
6 and 4 seem to be the new binary code for Gayle.
When AB De Villiers started hitting he said ‘ Ladies and Gentleman, do up your seat belts. We are ready for the take-off’.
When Sachin and Dhoni were playing together in the innings, he commentated that “We have a Surgeon at one end and a Butcher at the other end’
Honors
- In 1992, Harsha was rated as the ‘sexiest voice on the radio’ by Australia and an independent website rated him as the number one commentator of the season in 1999.
- Bhogle is a pioneer in Indian radio and television commentating. Adam Gilchrist called him as ‘Guru of cricket from India’.
- Readers of Crincifo voted him as the most favorite commentator.
- He possessed three titles as ’most unbiased’, ‘most insightful’, ‘most entertaining’ commentator.
- Gentleman Magazine voted him as one of 50 men you want to know better.
- Hindustan Times called him ‘the greatest icon of cricket commentary’.
- His posts were read and a selection of those has been published in a book from the Indian Express and Penguin called ‘Out of the box’.
- In January 2001, he was honored by BBC World in their series ‘Face to Face’ on Young Achievers.
Awards
- Felicitated with Rajiv Gandhi award for his outstanding work in media
- Received the Ceat Cricket Ratings Award as the best television commentator and presenter.
- Also won the Hero Honda’s Indian Television Academy award twice.
Harsha Bhogle is considered as one of the best voices of the game. He is a very admirable commentator as his keen eye for details and precise analytical skills blended with humor. Harsha makes the television commentary a mainstream and he is a living inspiration to many aspiring sports person, journalists in India and all over the World. Bhogle explains his advertising career as his second love. This love on his career brought him to sky-high.
Tips to Young Commentators
Harsha gives his piece of mind to youngsters that people are searching for batting and bowling and career records. He explains that if you are a bright kid, asks to understand the game, analyze, feel the emotion and tells a story. This is not only for television but also for many websites. He also says that sport is a drama and cannot forget the drama around sports.
Harsha Bhogle’s achievements, passion on sports, honors, commentary talent reveals that he is the best Indian Commentator.
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