Salaries of some famous cricket commentators per series/tournament

The amount of money being invested in commentators across all major sports is a clear sign that the millions of people watching the sport on television find their viewing experience enhanced. Commentary over the years has become a major tool in connecting sports to the television and radio audience and that’s why we see the likes of Ravi Shastri, Mark Nicholas, Peter Drury, Martin Tyler, Ray Warren and many more have won the hearts of sports lovers with their descriptions.

Broadcasting houses like Sky Sports, BBC, BT Sport, Star Sports, Channel Nine etc, have placed great emphasis on roping in good commentators for tours that matter a lot. Their roles and responsibilities are very clearly assigned as well, which makes their job a little easier. They also keep track of how the fans are reacting to certain commentators and they ensure the quality is never coming down.

Indian cricket has become a major destination for all top commentators with the surge in broadcasting in the last five years. Here are the salaries of some of the famous voices which have a pretty much-become household.

1. Ravi Shastri

One of the most decorated commentators in Indian cricket history, Ravi Shastri was always in great demand for big games and he was always paid a hefty amount for most games. He was paid a whopping Rs. 56.93 lakh per series leading up to the 2017 Champions Trophy.

His paycheck for IPL is even more massive, as he received approximately Rs. 4 Crore per tournament till 2017. After the Champions Trophy, he was named head coach and never got a chance to get back in the commentary box. During his time, he had an annual income above Rs. 6.5 Crore and was the highest paid cricket commentator ever.

2. Sunil Gavaskar

One of cricket’s most iconic figures, Sunil Gavaskar is on a similar payrole when compared to Ravi Shastri. Considering his stature as a cricketer and his vast experience in the field of commentary, he also gets approximately Rs. 56.93 lakh per series in International fixtures. He gets paid Rs. 2.35 Crore per edition for his duties as a commentator in the Indian Premier League, which means he has an annual income well above Rs. 6 Crore.

3. Sanjay Manjrekar

He was very well on his way to take the place of Ravi Shastri as Indian cricket’s most iconic commentator, but he was often criticized in IPL for being very biased to his home side Mumbai Indians. He also found some negative feedback for some of the comments he made on air. He receives Rs. 42 lakh per series and his income sums up to a total of Rs. 6 Crore per annum including the IPL and International fixtures.

4. Harsha Bhogle

Harsha Bhogle has been a freelancer in this field for a long time after some mishaps with BCCI over the years. He continues to be one of the main commentators in this field and earns a total of Rs. 32 lakh per series, with his annual income shooting up to a whopping Rs. 5.5 Crore. He also does pre-match and post-match analysis for Cricbuzz during the IPL, making him one of the busiest commentators in the world.

5. Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan has been contracted with Sky Sports for a long time now and is one of the highest-earning commentators in the world. The former English captain does make his way occasionally to India for the IPL but is predominantly known for his partnership with Sky Sports. He earns a whopping Rs. 38 lakh per series and his annual income vary between Rs. 5.8 Crore to Rs. 6.5 Crore depending upon the number of assignments that season.

6. Ian Bishop

We all “Remember the name” Ian Bishop. One of the most underrated yet iconic voices of cricket, Ian Bishop is contracted with Star Sports and ESPN. The former Windies pacer is on a humongous payroll as well, earning closely Rs. 33 Lakh per series and his annual income is mostly above Rs. 5 Crore. He was an integral part of the IPL commentary panel and will be giving his insights throughout the 2019 World Cup.

7. Anil Kumble

With Anil Kumble stepping down as Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri was roped in to fill that role. Kumble took a short break and then made his entry in the commentary box for International fixtures and IPL. Although he doesn’t boast of a lot of experience in this field, his legendary status as a cricket earns him quite a lot of money. He gets paid approximately Rs. 32 Lakh per series and earns over Rs. 5.5 Crore annually.

8. Pommie Mbangwa

Another highly under-rated name in the commentary business, Pommie Mbangwa has a beautiful accent which many fans have found pretty appealing. The former Zimbabwean cricketer is contracted with Supersport and Star Sports and earns closely Rs. 26 lakh per series and his annual income shoots up to a whopping Rs. 3. Crore and above.

9. Michael Slater

A voice Indian fans are getting to hear more regularly these days, former Australian opener Michael Slater‘s image as a commentator saw a drastic rise since his iconic spell in the 2016 World T20 describing Virat Kohli’s heroics against Australia and Windies. He features regularly in the IPL as well these days and gets paid Rs. 19 lakh per series, with his annual income summing up between Rs. 2.5 Crore to 3 Crore.

10. David Lloyd

Probably the finest commentator alive on the planet right now, David Bumble Lloyd is one of the most adored figures in this field. The former English cricketer’s typical British accent and sense of humour won over the hearts of millions over the last few decades. Unsurprisingly, he receives a staggering Rs. 38 Lakh per series and since he is not very active these days because of his age, his annual income is just above Rs. 5 Crore.

11. Nasser Hussain

Another one of the Sky Sports contracted Englishman who earns quite a lot of bucks is their former captain Nasser Hussain. He is featuring regularly in the Indian Premier League from a long time and is one of the most respected figures in the fraternity. He gets paid closely to Rs. 38 lakh per series and his annual income varies between Rs. 5.5 crore to Rs. 6 crore.

12. Aakash Chopra

Not many are unaware of this man’s eloquence in Hindi commentary and Aakash Chopra, despite getting some negative feedback for some of his analysis, is one of the highest pair commentators on the globe. He reportedly gets paid Rs. 30 Lakh per series and his annual income is expected to be above Rs. 4 Crore including IPL and other International tours. He is contracted with Star Sports.

13. Danny Morrison

One of the funniest and loved figures in this field, Danny Morrison’s ever-captivating voice adding to his funny slang in the commentary box has always enlightened the viewers. He receives approximately Rs. 19 lakh per series and his annual income is closely Rs. 3.5 Crore per annum. On the blip side, Danny is also tangled in a few controversies as his mirth was sometimes taken seriously. Facing flak is a part of TV Anchors’ profession, else he is definitely one of the captivating figures on TV screens.

14. VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman is a very busy man during the IPL as he performs duties not just as the mentor of Sunrisers, but also appears in the Hindi commentary panel. The former Indian cricketer, who is fondly known as Very Very Special Laxman, earns closely Rs. 3.5 Lakh per game during International cricket. His annual income is expected to be between Rs. 2.5 to 3.5 Crore and is also contracted with Star Sports.

15. Jatin Sapru

One of the commentators who is making inroads in recent years despite not having a cricketing background is Jatin Sapru, who is a very popular figure for the Hindi audience these days. It is believed that he gets paid per match as he also has to perform his hosting duties. His earning per match are closely Rs. 1.5 lakh and earns more than Rs. 1.75 Crore per annum.