IND vs PAK cricket Commentary: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It – 4 exclusive things required

By Dr. AK Rana

I won’t call the Hindi commentary in IND vs PAK “cringy,” but the truth is—I didn’t like it.

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It felt more like background noise that needed to be muted rather than an engaging part of the experience.

Contrast that with the AFG vs ENG match, where nobody had any complaints.

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Why? Because not everyone can do commentary.

What Makes Good Commentary?

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1. Sports and entertainment are different arenas. You may be a great entertainer, but this isn’t that stage. Sports commentary demands a different skill set.
2. No one tunes in for poetic musings. We don’t need mountains, skies, or motivational speeches—we need cricket talk.
3. Commentary should sync with the game. It should rise with the tension, pause where needed, and never feel like an unrelated noise.
4. Close your eyes, and you should still feel the match. Good commentary paints a picture so vivid that you don’t need visuals to follow the game.

This was never about language. It’s not that Hindi commentary is inherently bad—it’s that what we got didn’t feel like actual sports commentary.

I understand that TV channels want to make it an all-around spectacle, but let’s not forget—this isn’t a live reality show. It’s cricket. In-between overs, sure, talk about players, add some flavor, but don’t drift away from the game entirely.

Looking Ahead: IND vs NZ on March 2

With India already in the semi-finals, the match against New Zealand will be less about pressure and more about fine-tuning before the knockouts. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to watch.

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Broadcasters, if you’re reading this—commentary should seamlessly blend with the game. When it doesn’t, it turns into an irritating distraction, ruining the experience. It’s always about the commentary, never about the language.

Wishing Team India all the best!