With the decks almost cleared for the staging of the 13th edition of the IPL, the tournament broadcaster are mulling with the idea of introducing "virtual commentary" in the upcoming franchise-based league, drawing inspiration by its successful recent experiment in an exhibition match.
Cricketer turned commentators Irfan Pathan,Deep Dasgupta and Sanjay Manjrekar did commentary from their respective residences in India for a live game at Centurion Park in South Africa on Sunday.
Irfan Pathan was doing commentary from his Baroda home, Deep Dasgupta from Kolkata and Sanjay Manjrekar from his Mumbai residence.
It was a first of sorts to commentate for a match held thousands of kilometers from his home in Baroda, believed former India all-rounder Pathan, terming the experience nothing short of "magical".
In a world that is changing everyday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IPL broadcaster Star Sports has experimented with virtual commentary for a 36-over exhibition game featuring three teams at Centurion Park.
It was not just the commentators as the crew also logged in from all parts of the country with the director sitting in Mysore.
The experiment was fairly successful, notwithstanding a few teething issues. It could be a regular feature in the upcoming IPL, if not for the main feeds in Hindi and English, at least for growing regional feeds like Tamil, Telegu and Kannada to start with.
"It was an extraordinary experience though we were worried throughout because the internet speed can fluctuate and that affects the voice quality. Anything can happen anytime in live cricket and with technology not fully in your control, it can be tricky but Star did a wonderful job," Pathan told PTI.
"Though this was an exhibition game, everyone took it very seriously as they all wanted the show to resume (after months of break).
"Star is usually very thorough with its planning and execution but commentary from home in the IPL will be a massive challenge," said the former pacer, who had to lock himself in a room to not get distracted on the job while his son knocked on the door from time to time.