Finally,After about a year in banishment noted cricket commentator, Harsha Bhogle is all set to make a comeback with the 10th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). As per recent reports, one of the major intellect for the change in Bhogle’s inheritance seems to be the revamp in the top brass of the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India.
The ‘voice of Indian cricket’ was unconstrained ejected from the commentary box by the BCCI before the beginning of the IPL in 2016. Though none of these have been affirmed, but a hookup tweet by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan that was especially retweeted by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and complaints by Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay, were the deciding factors in Bhogle’s misfortune back then.
Things obviously have changed for the better for Harsha and unless there is an unforeseen turn of events in the next three weeks, the seasoned commentator will be back in the broadcast business,in the studio certainly if not on the ground exactly for live commentary.
After all, with a year having come off by, and the BCCI witnessing a major change in its power equation, Bhogle is all set to come back. He will, though, be present only as a panelist in the studio.
Broadcasters Sony and Harsha have chosen not to comment on the expected development, but as per reliable information,talks have been going on between them for quite some time. The pen has obviously not been put on the paper over points of the contracts to be signed but it is understood that it would be more of a formality than serious negotiations.
The other factor that is helping Harsha’s return is the sudden shortage of quality ‘experts’ in the studio.With Pakistani experts Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar not available this year due to the tensions between the two neighbouring countries, the board assume to be in a desperate search for a quality analyst.
For the record, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, L Sivaramakrishnan and Sanjay Manjrekar are among those who have been offered the commentary contract for this IPL. Barring the Pakistanis, the other usual suspects of the IPL will be there. Where exactly will Harsha come in is something that will be decided in the next few days.
