IPL 2024: Esports star Ocean Sharma becomes first-ever gaming caster to join IPL

The Esports industry has taken giant strides, especially in recent years, as gamers have showcased their remarkable skills and earned the respect of the spectators. Ocean Sharma, who is a renowned caster of the country's Esports industry, has etched his name in the history books by becoming the first-ever gaming caster to be appointed as the national presenter for the highly-anticipated season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by Star Sports.

He will be joining forces with the likes of established presenters like Mayanti Langer Binny, Jatin Sapru, Tanay Tiwari, Suren Sundaram and more to take the fans on a cricketing journey that promises a lot of intense action over the next few months. The 17th edition of the IPL gets underway on Friday, March 22 as Chennai Super Kings take on Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Ocean has the experience of showcasing his casting talent in popular tournaments in the country like the Ultimate Kho Kho and Pro Kabaddi League. Speaking about the development, the 27-year-old opined that it will give him an opportunity to bridge the gap between Esports and mainstream sports in the country.

"As a passionate cricket fan, being appointed as the national presenter for IPL 2024 is truly a monumental moment for me. It presents an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between Esports and mainstream sports in India, and I am honoured to be at its forefront. With my experience, I am committed to delivering an unparalleled experience for all viewers and cannot wait to kickstart this innings of my career," Ocean was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

Also read: IPL 2024: Star Sports unveils stellar cast of cricket's finest storytellers

With his expertise as a caster and a gaming analyst, Ocean has become a popular figure, having more than 858k subscribers on his YouTube channel and 450k followers on his Instagram account. His notable achievements include casting for official Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournaments and global Esports events such as the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: League - East, PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: Grand Finals, and PUBG Mobile Pro League - South Asia Spring 2022.

Being named among the presenters of IPL 2024 isn't just a personal achievement for Sharma but is also a significant occasion for the entire Esports fraternity.