In pictures: The ultimate commentators’ XI

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Modern sport assumes such a vital part of the tapestry of our cultural life not just because of its stories and its protagonists, but also because of the calibre of its storytellers. In an age where picture quality is immaculate and reams of statistics are just a few clicks away, the job of a commentator is no longer limited to saying what happens on the field. They must do more. They must narrate, analyse, recount, even serenade. With these attributes in mind, My Kolkata picks the 11 best commentators from the latest cricket and football seasons, including not just play-by-play broadcasters such as Harsha Bhogle and experts such as Gary Neville, but also anchors like Kate Abdo, who are often just as crucial in shaping the narrative of a game

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Harsha Bhogle: For more than three decades, Bhogle has been the ‘voice of cricket’, an endearing and enriching soundtrack to a sport that has increasingly less room for those of his kind, the ones who have never played the game at the highest level. While Bhogle’s on-air humour and his knack to find the most succinct phrases to explain the action remain at their finest, he is perhaps the only broadcaster that can make an IPL post-match interview a highlight. Especially when Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at the other end of the mic. In our report card, Bhogle scores a near-perfect 9.5 out of 10. When it comes to calling cricket, it simply does not get better than Bhogle in the present day

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Peter Drury: Matching Bhogle’s score of 9.5 out of 10 is the man he is most often compared with from the world of football. Drury has been commentating for decades, but it is only in the past few years that he has got the recognition he deserves. Part of the reason has been his ability to elevate his prose for the big occasion, the finest example of which came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, when his oratory enhanced the genius of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The most quotable commentator around, Drury is best enjoyed as a neutral, as his hyperbole can sometimes aggravate partisan tendencies among loyal fans

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Kate Abdo: For sports fanatics in India, Abdo’s talents are only accessible through YouTube clips or clumsily edited montages on Twitter. But even those snippets are enough to demonstrate the chutzpah which Abdo brings to the table. As an anchor, Abdo is not content with asking experts what they think about the game. She is bold and brilliant enough to add her own insights, without assuming an authority that is not entitled to a non-player. For her composure in handling tricky football debates, her biting wit and, above all, her fantastic chemistry with her panellists, particularly Thierry Henry, we score Abdo a 9 out of 10

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Sunil Gavaskar: When Sunny G was asked how Virat Kohli should have played an “unplayable ball” from Mitchell Starc in the ICC World Test Championship final, he produced one of the most curt yet memorable responses of the year. “On the back foot,” quipped Gavaskar, sending Twitter into a frenzy. At 73, Gavaskar’s age has had little to no effect on his commentary, with his inputs in both English and Hindi as watertight as his batting technique from back in the day. While Gavaskar’s is not the most exhilarating voice to listen to during the last over of a nail-biting contest, he is still the one best placed to take it apart once it is over, one incisive comment at a time. Our verdict for him is an 8.5 out of 10

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Gary Neville: Perhaps no sports commentator in the world generates as much debate as Neville, the man who was a far gentler presence during his time in Manchester United’s defence. Combining bullishness with unexpected bouts of comedy, sometimes at his own expense, Neville is always watchable, if not always right. The fact that he is prone to bursts of rage (just ask Jamie Redknapp) only heightens his box office appeal. An 8 out of 10 for Neville from our end, with some deductions based on his tendency to get carried away, be it before, during or after a match. Or anytime he is in the presence of Redknapp

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Martin Tyler: A few years ago, Tyler, the closest thing that football has to the ‘voice of god’, may have topped our scoring charts. But commentary has changed in recent times, with the drama quotient gaining prominence. Even though he was the man who screamed “Agueroooooo” for what felt like an eternity back in 2012, Tyler is generally understated, which makes him an odd one out in today’s age of adrenaline-pumping commentators. An 8 out of 10 does not include any brownie points for nostalgia, but it does reflect the slightly diminishing stature of one of the most iconic broadcasters of all time

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Sanjana Ganesan: Perhaps the most versatile broadcaster on this list, Ganesan is invariably efficient in every segment she features in. Excelling at both English and Hindi anchoring, Ganesan’s greatest skills lie in what she does not do. She does not inundate the audience with cliches, pluck alliterations out of thin air, fawn in front of Bollywood celebrities on pre-shows (why have them, anyway?) or find 10 different ways of saying the same thing just because an ad break is stalling. Her no-nonsense approach makes her an asset, especially during long tournaments like the IPL. We give her a 7.5 out of 10

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Thierry Henry: Just like his initial days at Arsenal and then Barcelona, it took Henry a fair bit of time to get to grips with commentary. But once he had understood the brief and gained sufficient fluency in English to not have to search for words mid-sentence, Henry’s deep reading of the game made him an outstanding commentator. During Manchester City’s march to UEFA Champions League glory, Henry has rarely put a foot wrong, coming up with detailed tactical breakdowns that football geeks have been playing on loop. A 7.5 out of 10 for Henry, who also deserves praise for digging up intriguing anecdotes in between his analyses

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Sanjay Manjrekar: Acutely aware of his limitations as a commentator, just as he was as a batter, Manjrekar is very much the go-to person for batting masterclasses during the IPL. He may not be the most enigmatic speaker, and is prone to dragging his sentences, unlike his cover drives. But Manjrekar knows what he is talking about. Which is why he is more than a “bits and pieces” broadcaster (yes, we could not resist it) and gets a 7.5 out of 10. Moreover, a special mention for how Manjrekar is among the very few experts willing to reflect and admit to their mistakes on air

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Jatin Sapru: How does Sapru make it to this XI ahead of more illustrious names such as Ravi Shastri and Aakash Chopra? Because we are tired of hearing “tracer bullet” and sentimental poetry on air. Also because Sapru is pretty good at what he does, perhaps the smoothest anchor in English and Hindi since Gaurav Kapoor (sorry, Cricbuzz and Breakfast with Champions are not enough for Kapoor to make the cut here). What also makes Sapru, who scores 7 out of 10, impressive is how he defers to big names in the commentary box without surrendering his own ideas at the altar of respect. Do not be surprised if Sapru creeps his way up this list in a few years’ time

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Jhulan Goswami: Making a strong debut in her commentary stint with JioCinema’s Bengali coverage of the IPL, Goswami also scores a 7 out of 10. Not as articulate as Anjum Chopra or as immersive as Mithali Raj, Goswami’s strength is in calling things straight down the middle. No enticing metaphors, no expansive adjectives, no elaborate digressions. In due course of time, Goswami may need to improve her conversational skills with her colleagues on air, but for now, her expertise and passion for the game have made her a hit among the Bengali audience.