Money Talks: The Untold Stories of TV Commentators’s Paychecks

(Sourav Ganguly sharing commentary panel with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag)

The world of cricket is marvellous and intricate as it is a vast universe of sports, and there are plenty of facts to learn. People have numerous opinions and perspectives about the different scenarios of the plays on the field; however, commentators bring a unique perspective to the commentary box, showcasing their experience as players to provide insightful and captivating storytelling during the live broadcasts. Cricketers tend to get involved in the field of commentary after their retirement from on-field performances to enjoy their passion and inform viewers about the sport. But do you know some of them who were the prodigy of these games? No worries, let's take a brief overview of the big shots of their past, now decorating the field of commentary successfully.

1. Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar, the maestro of the world of cricket and the one who structured the rules of batting with his astonishing style and resilience has inspired generations of players and fans with his calm and composed batting and solid defence. He holds numerous records in his name and is also a part of the ICC Hall of Fame, being one of the greatest icons of Indian cricket. Gavaskar stepped into the limelight in 1971 in a match against West Indies and scored the highest runs in the match from India’s side.

(Sunil Gavaskar in a post-match interaction session)

Gavaskar burst into the scene of commentary and broadcasting after his retirement in 1990 during India’s tour of West Indies, sharing his point of view of the game and he is even seen in various other international and domestic series as a commentator. He also served as a Chairman of the ICC cricket committee in the past and the Interim President of BCCI. Gavaskar earns around 56.93 lakh rupees per international series, and he gets INR 41.75 lakhs per series from ESPN, Star Sports contract, and approx. INR 4.17 crore from 2024 IPL.

2. Ravi Shastri

The charismatic all-rounder Indian cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri is well known for his dynamic playing style and insightful commentary. He started his career as a left-arm spin bowler, but afterwards, he transformed into a batting all-rounder and bagged almost 280 wickets with more than 6,900 runs scored in his International career. Shastri made his first appearance in February 1981 in a match against New Zealand at Wellington, and he bagged 3 wickets in each of the two innings in that match.

(Ravi Shastri in a pre-match addressing session beside the World Cup)

However, after his retirement from cricket, he was seen as a commentator for the first time in the World Masters Tournament in Mumbai in 1995. He continued as a commentator in Star Sports till 2008, then left Star Sports to associate with BCCI as the commentator for IPL and to date he has been spotted as a commentator in various International series including IPL. He earns around INR 10-15 lakh per match from IPL 2024 and was the highest-paid commentator in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy for INR 56.93 lakhs.

3. Akash Chopra

The cricketing stalwart Akash Chopra left his mark in the minds of fans as one of the best opening batsmen, famous for his impeccable batting skills and unshakable endurance at the crease. His early success in domestic cricket paved the way for his memorable debut for India against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in October 2003. He really had a short international career but was a master in First-class cricket, where he scored more than 10,800 runs in just 162 matches.

(Akash Chopra during a pre-match interaction session)

Akash Chopra, after he retired from all formats of cricket, was a commentator for Star Sports for a long time, but in January 2023, he left Star Sports to join Viacom 18 and Jio Cinema App during the South Africa Twenty20 League. He was signed as a commentator for a mobile cricket game and became the first-ever commentator to become a commentator for a digital game platform. He earns INR 4-6 lakhs per match and annually a whopping amount of INR 2.92 crores from IPL 2024 and approximately INR 30 lakhs from each international series.

4. Sanjay Manjrekar

The prodigy of Indian cricket and well-known for his sharp cover drives, Sanjay Manjrekar has carved a niche for himself in the world of cricket with his brilliant mid-order batting techniques and he is also in the limelight due to his controversial commentaries. Following his father’s footsteps, Vijay Manjrekar, who was also a renowned Indian cricketer, made his own path into the Indian cricket team and debuted in the year 1987 against West Indies. He racked up over 4000 runs in Internationals and amassed over 10,000 runs in First-class cricket.

(Sanjay Manjrekar commentating before a match during World Cup)

After retiring from professional cricket, Sanjay Manjrekar became a prominent commentator and analyst; his deep understanding of the game and raw opinions made him the voice of cricket broadcasting. He has been associated with many networks and earns around INR 46.6 lakhs per series from his contract with ESPN and Star Sports, which exceeds INR 8.35 crore annually and INR 6-10 lakhs per match and INR 2.08 crore in total from his role as a commentator in IPL 2024.

5. Irfan Pathan

The Sultan of pace and the master of swing, Irfan Pathan, has had an enigmatic impact in the world of cricket; he is recognized for his left-arm swing bowling and his dynamic batting style. He introduced himself to the sport professionally in 2000 when he made his debut for Baroda in a first-class match. His international debut was against Australia in 2003 in Adelaide. He was an outstanding all-rounder for India and achieved a great feat by securing 301 dismissals in his entire international career.

(Irfan Pathan during an in-studio pre-match analysis session named “The Dugout’)

Following his retirement from cricket in 2020, Irfan Pathan transitioned into a jolly and technical commentator who brings a unique perspective to commentary due to his experience as a former international cricketer. Alongside, he is also a great analyst who often delves into technical aspects of the game, such as bowling and batting strategies and match scenarios. He has also collaborated with various broadcasting networks like Star Sports, SPSN, and ESPN, and currently, he is a commentator in the 2024 IPL and gets a total salary of INR 1.67 crore per season.

6. Ian Bishop

“Carlos Brathwaite remembers the name….” The face after listening to this famous line, the only face that comes into our mind is the great Ian Bishop. The cricketing whirlwind and a great commentator, Ian Bishop, was a menace for the batsmen facing him as he was acknowledged for his powerful, fast bowling with tremendous outswings in his deliveries. He debuted against England at Leeds in 1988 in an ODI, and his test debut was against India at Georgetown in 1999; he also holds a record of reaching 100 Test wickets in just 21 matches. But due to his long-spanned back injuries several times, he could not last for too long in the world of cricket.

(Ian Bishop while commentating for ‘Sky Sports Network’ prior to a match)

After his retirement from cricket due to various injuries, he decided to excel in the field of commentary and currently tours the world as a commentator in various series. Bishop has worked with many regional channels before progressing to international networks like ESPN, Star Sports, and Sky Sports. He receives INR 43.4 lakhs per series as a salary from his contract with Sky Sports, which eventually exceeds INR 7.5 crores annually and a whopping amount of INR 4.17 crore from IPL 2024.

7. Kevin Pietersen

The English Outperformer and one of the most aggressive batsmen of his time, Kevin is marked by his innovative and aggressive batting style and it is absolutely a treat to watch him on the pitch. Pietersen moved to England in 2000 and qualified to play for the England cricket team and made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2004. Kevin accumulated a fabulous total of 13,797 runs with 32 centuries and 7 fifties in his International career and was the ‘Player of the Tournament’ of the ICC World Twenty20 bagged by England.

(Kevin Pietersen before a pre-match interaction session broadcasted by ‘Star Sports Network’)

After officially retiring from all the formats in 2018, he smoothly transformed into a successful commentator. His deep understanding of the game, combined with his articulate communication skills, made him a natural fit for broadcasting. He has worked with major networks like Sky Sports, Star Sports, and ESPN, earning around INR 4.17 crore annually from these contracts and additionally, he is earning INR 9-13 lakhs per match and a sum total of INR 4.17 crore from IPL 2024.