How IPL ecosystem grew to 12 languages, Jiostar official reveals:Vaibhav Suryavanshi best T20 batter currently, says ex-umpire Anil Chaudhary

Cricket broadcaster JioHotstar has claimed that no league in the world has as many languages as the IPL. Dainik Bhaskar reached the head office of JioHotstar in Mumbai to interact with Head of Content Siddharth Sharma, former umpire Anil Chaudhary, and former cricketer and selector Sarandeep Singh Siddharth stated that IPL is now being watched in 12 languages, and feeds like Bhojpuri and Haryanvi are growing rapidly. Meanwhile, former Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary named young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi as the best T20 batter of the current era. On the other hand, former cricketer and selector Sarandeep Singh said that Punjab is still the biggest stronghold of Indian cricket, from where big players are continuously emerging. Some excerpts from the chat: Question: How did the idea of starting commentary in 12 languages in IPL come about? Siddharth explained that for a long time, cricket in India was only shown in English. In 2013, after Star Sports acquired major cricket rights, the Hindi feed was launched. He said, “The aim was for more and more people to watch cricket in their own language and feel connected to it.” In 2017, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada feeds were launched. After that, with the expansion of digital platforms, many new languages, including Bhojpuri, Punjabi, and Haryanvi, were added, and now IPL is available in 12 languages. Question: What was the biggest challenge at the beginning of Bhojpuri commentary? According to Siddharth, the biggest challenge was finding the right commentators. He said that former cricketers are not available in every language, so people were sought who understood cricket and were also good storytellers. He informed that several auditions were held for Bhojpuri commentary. A pool of 10-12 people was prepared, and then after workshops and training, some voices were selected. Commentators were also taught how to present Rohit Sharma’s batting or Virat Kohli’s cover drive. Separate training modules and frameworks were created for this. Question: Why did Bhojpuri commentary become so viral? Siddharth said that the strength of Bhojpuri commentary lies in its rustic style and storytelling art. He said that in the Bhojpuri feed, the focus was more on entertainment, local dialect, idioms, and emotional connection rather than technical analysis. According to him, Bhojpuri commentators present cricket in such a way that even viewers who do not understand the nuances of the game connect with it. This is why Bhojpuri commentary has made its own distinct identity. Question: Why are former players given so much importance in IPL commentary? Siddharth said that the effort is to bring people into commentary who have been part of the IPL ecosystem. Question: How does Indian broadcast compare with foreign leagues? Siddharth claimed that IPL broadcast is ahead of the world’s major sports leagues. He said that in terms of breadth of coverage, number of languages, and reach to viewers, the IPL model is unique. Question: How is the flavour of Punjabi commentary different from other languages? Former cricketer and commentator Sarandeep Singh said that the Punjabi language itself is very emotional and fun. He explained that in Hindi and English commentary, words are limited and formal, whereas in Punjabi, people talk openly. He gave an example, saying that in Punjabi, local words and phrases are used that come from the language of villages and towns. Question: What was the most memorable IPL moment in Punjabi commentary? Sarandeep described Punjab Kings’ big run chases and aggressive play as the most memorable. He mentioned chasing 262 runs in Kolkata and Arshdeep Singh’s performance against Mumbai Indians. Question: Why do so many cricketers emerge from Punjab? Sarandeep said that the culture of sports in Punjab is very old. Citing examples of players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Kapil Dev, and Navjot Singh Sidhu, he said that cricket is a part of their culture. He informed that different regions of Punjab – Malwa, Doaba, and Majha – have their own distinct dialect and flavour, which is visible in both players and commentary. Question: How important has fitness become in modern cricket? Anil Chaudhary, who has umpired the most matches in the IPL, said that fitness has become the biggest necessity in today’s cricket. According to him, if a player or umpire is not fit, they cannot keep pace with the speed of the game. Question: Who is the best T20 batter of the current time? Anil said that all the youngsters currently are showing excellent play. Ayush Mhatre, Yash Raj Punja, and Devdutt Padikkal have all been in excellent form, but his favourite player is Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Anil described Vaibhav’s hitting ability as fantastic.