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

Mumbai, March 16, 2024: As the eagerly awaited IPL 2024 draws near, Star Sports, the official television broadcaster of the marquee tournament, has announced a stellar cast of cricket’s finest storytellers as part of its broadcast coverage plan.

Bringing together the wealth of experience from different generations, distinct roles and a wide array of achievements, the Star Sports “Star cast” will strive to elevate the experience of IPL 2024 by driving key narratives, hyping rivalries, building heroes (current and new) and most of all, amplifying incredible moments. In line with its campaign which celebrates fandom associated with IPL, Star Sports will continue to focus on “serving fans” and ramping up the shared passion for the Incredible League. 

This year fans across India will witness the blockbuster cricketing event across 20 fully customised feeds on the Star Sports Network with almost 150 broadcasters, which includes IPL champions who have more than 40 IPL Titles among them, 12 IPL Team Coaches, 18 World Cup winners, 12 International Captains. With representation from 15 Indian States and 6 countries beyond India, the broadcaster will bring together diverse views from across India and around the world. 

The Indian contingent of experts features legendary World Cup champions Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri (former head coach of Team India) and Kris Srikkanth. The broadcast ranks will also include four-time IPL and two-time World Champion Harbhajan Singh and winner of the first-ever IPL title Mohammad Kaif. The strong line-up includes former India all-rounder and winner of ICC T20 World Cup 2007 - Irfan Pathan, former IPL winner Imran Tahir along with analysts extraordinaire and former India Cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Deep Dasgupta. Star Sports has also onboarded Mithali Raj, one of the greatest women cricketers of all time, as a key expert.  

Ravi Shastri on being part of Star Sports Panel for IPL 2024 said: “The broadcaster’s commitment to excellence ensures that we have the best possible platform to engage with fans and deliver insightful commentary that resonates with audiences across the country. What sets the IPL festival on Star Sports apart is its ability to continuously innovate and adapt, keeping the experience fresh and exciting for fans year after year. Whether it's through innovative camera angles, interactive features, or exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Star Sports consistently strives to provide viewers with an immersive and unforgettable cricketing experience.”

Making his Star Sports debut is England fast bowler Stuart Broad, boasting 847 international wickets and a T20 World Cup triumph. He will join his Ashes rival, Steve Smith, who made a splash last year joining the Star Sports coverage as a “virtual avatar” live from Sydney. The four-time ICC title winner and former captain of MS Dhoni in IPL will join in person this time. The panel of experts will also feature World Cup winning captains Michael Clarke, Paul Collingwood and Aaron Finch alongside Kevin Pietersen, winner of the T20 World Cup and a former captain himself. Australian legend Matthew Hayden, winner of IPL 2010 along with fellow legends Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn will play key roles on the broadcast. Former IPL coaches Tom Moody and Simon Katich will provide an insider’s view on the game, deeply analysing tactics and plays for viewers. 

Stuart Board on making his commentary debut in IPL on Star Sports Network said: “I’m thrilled to make my Indian commentary debut with the Star Cast for IPL 2024and be given the opportunity to share my passions on this incredible tournament. Nobody celebrates their love of cricket quite like the Indians, and I’m truly excited at the prospect of entertaining audiences in company with some of the best commentators and cricket minds in the business.” 

Powering the ranks of new voices, a cohort of debutants have emerged from the Indian cricketing arena with fresh insights and expertise. Six-time IPL title winner Ambati Rayudu and Indian speedster Varun Aaron will be joined by recent IPL players N Jagadeesan, M Ashwin and Jagadeesh Suchith and former players like Vinay Kumar, Murali Vijay and S Sreesanth 

Ambati Rayudu on being part of Star Sports Panel for IPL 2024 said: "Being alongside MS Dhoni and winning the IPL trophy last year was a dream come true. This year I'm thrilled to embark on a new chapter with Star Sports for IPL 2024, making my commentary debut on both Telugu and English feeds. It's an exciting opportunity to share my insights and passion for the game with fans across the country. Star Sports' commitment to delivering unparalleled coverage and innovative storytelling ensures an electrifying experience for viewers, and I'm honoured to be a part of it." 

The Telugu broadcast features experts with 10 IPL titles among them, making it a blockbuster IPL for viewers in AP & Telangana. The line-up includes six-time IPL winner Ambati Rayudu along with former IPL champions - Venugopal Rao, Kalyan Krishna and T Suman. The IPL will be followed by the T20 World Cup and former Chief Selector of the Indian Cricket team – MSK Prasad – joins the Telugu broadcast, keeping an eye on the most promising players for the upcoming tournament. 

The Tamil feed features experts with 8 IPL titles among them. The strong panel features CSK legends Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath, both of whom have won two titles with CSK, alongside Lakshmipathy Balaji, who also has three IPL titles. Adding to the list will be TN media icon Gobinath promising to enrich viewers with his astute observations and curiosity and RJ Balaji, whose expressions of fan sentiment have developed a cult following across the state.

The Kannada commentary panel features former Indian cricketer and three-time IPL winner Vinay Kumar along with Vijay Bharadwaj, Karnataka legend Gundappa Vishwanath, former Karnataka coach GK Anil Kumar, former RCB players Balachandra Akhil and Pavan Deshpande. 

Former Indian cricketer and five-time IPL Champion Aditya Tare leads the broadcast in Marathi while former India cricketer Nayan Mongia will lead the ranks of Gujarati experts. The Malayalam and Bengali feeds will be led by two former India and IPL pacers in S Sreesanth and Ashoke Dinda respectively.

The broadcast will be presented by a distinguished roster led by Jatin Sapru along with Mayanti Langer Binny, Bhavna Balakrishnan, Roopesh Shetty, Suren Sundaram, R Muthuraman, Erin Holland, Grace Hayden, Anand Krishna, Swedha Singh, Nashpreet Kaur, Vishnu Hariharan, and Simaran Kaur, each bringing their unique blend of passion, curiosity and insights.  

Star Sports is poised to deliver an extraordinary experience for fans during the IPL 2024season, featuring a diverse array of experts. With a blend of IPL champions, world champions, accomplished IPL coaches, seasoned broadcasters, and cricketing legends spanning generations, the stage is set for an unparalleled viewing experience for fans across India.