5 Indian cricket anchors who have not played first class cricket

There is more to being a sports presenter than meets the eye. Often, their life is projected to be a chilled out holiday, with ever-changing venues and the opportunity to rub shoulders with cricketing greats making their stressful careers seem all glitzy. While most cricketers make the natural foray into cricket commentary, there has been a steady influx of presenters who have no prior experience of playing the game. With the swift commercialization of the game, the broadcasters need someone who can handle a complete cricket-show, without making it too technical to bore the public to the bone.Here are five current presenters who have reached the heights of cricket broadcasting without having played the game at a competitive level:

# 5 JATIN SAPRU

A well-known face in the sports broadcasting sphere in India, Sapru is currently an anchor and commentator for the Star Sports network. Since 2013, he has been the lead Star Sports presenter in the country, hosting a number of match-related shows. Sapru has been involved in several high-profile events, including the 2015 World Cup, the World T20s in 2012 and 2014, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He started off as an intern in a newsroom for an upcoming news channel. Sapru got his big break when he was adjudged the winner of the ESPN Star Sports Dream job reality hunt show.

He was recently in the news when Shoaib Akhtar got irked by his comments during one of the post-match shows during the World T20 in March.

#4 RADHAKRISHNAN SREENIVASAN

Radhakrishnan Sreenivasan was the face of Neo Sports until 2013

Currently the Vice President of Ten Sports, Sreenivasan was popular for being the face of Neo Sports from 2006 till 2013. During his tenure, he worked with a number of cricketing greats, presenting domestic and international cricket matches. Known for his sedate way of presenting, he also worked with the football wing, hosting the Euro, the Bundesliga and the Serie A.

Before 2006, he was an Associate Producer at Star Sports for close to four years, producing weekly shows like Sportscenter India. He was also an on-field reporter for them during the World Cup 2003 in South Africa.

#3 GAUTAM BHIMANI

Bhimani has been working with Star Sports since 2001

A veteran in sports broadcasting in India, Gautam Bhimani has been working with ESPN Star Sports since 2001. Before joining ESS, he was a radio jockey at Radio Network FM and Times FM from 1994-2000. He has also dabbled in quizzing, and has conducted quiz-shows in colleges and B-schools. Bhimani provides a personal touch to the commentary team, reporting from the match site with quirky comments and fan opinions. Known for bringing in much-needed humour in the drab world of cricket commentary, he did his Masters in Mass Communication from Missouri State University.

#2 CHARU SHARMA

Charu Sharma is now the Director of Pro Kabaddi League

An articulate compere and commentator, Charu Sharma was a top-level springboard diver in his youth. After retiring from the game early, he took to commentary, and quickly established a name for himself in it. Apart from commentary, he has also actively hosted a number of post-match shows and quizzes. He was appointed the CEO of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008, but was sacked after a poor performance by the team in the first season.Since then, Sharma has ventured in other sports, and was recently appointed Director of the Pro Kabaddi League.

#1 HARSHA BHOGLE

Harsha Bhogle is one of the most recognizable faces in the Indian sports broadcasting industry

One of the most recognizable faces in the sports broadcasting industry in India, Bhogle has created a brand for himself with his sustained success as a top presenter and commentator over the last two decades.Despite not having played the game beyond University level, Bhogle is known to have a deep understanding of the game, and has shared screen space with a number of top cricketers. Born in Hyderabad, Bhogle is an alumnus of Osmania University, and has a Post-Graduate degree from IIM-Ahmedabad. He started commentary right from the age of 19, and was invited by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for the 1992 World Cup.

Since 1995, he has been involved with ESPN Star Sports in varying capacities, travelling round the world and hosting match-shows, as well as doing live commentary. He is popular with the crowd due to his charming disposition and eye for detail.