Is virtual commentary in IPL 2020 possible? Deep Dasgupta explains

World cricket witnessed something unique in Cricket South Africa’s brainchild - 3TC Solidarity Cup - at SuperSport Park in Centurion on July 18. While 24 South African players participated in the one-off match involving three teams, Indian commentators turned their respective houses into commentary box as the likes of Deep Dasgupta (Kolkata), Sanjay Manjrekar (Mumbai), Irfan Pathan (Baroda) and Jatin Sapru (Delhi)gripped the Indian cricket fans with their take on the match in Hindi.

Not only these four but the entire production team of Star Sports joined in from different cities of India. Be it Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai or Mysuru, the entire team assembled to bring a unique format of cricket to brighten up the lives of cricket fans.

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At the end, there were plaudits for each and every one who made the 3TC event possible. Both Hindi and English commentary were made available for viewers in what was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for cricket lovers.

As people say, extraordinary times require extraordinary measures to pull off something of a large scale and that is what 3TC witnessed.

“I don’t think something like that (virtual commentary in 3TC) was done before this. So technologically it was something huge that everyone pulled off. These are extraordinary times where you need extraordinary measures so in that perspective it was huge thing. And what I gathered from everyone is that viewing and listening experience on air was not bad,” former Indian cricketer turned broadcaster Deep Dasgupta told WION.

“Personally it was absolutely brilliant. There was some overlapping and audio glitches but it was normal as we were doing it for the first time. And naturally, people also understand the extraordinary times and what we are doing to bring back cricket to life,” Dasgupta added.

Another major development in the world of cricket comes in the postponement of T20 World Cup. IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has almost confirmed that IPL 2020will be heading to the UAE. As more and more news surrounding IPL 2020 continues to flow, a big question remains whether the tournament will also follow the footsteps of the 3TC in relation to virtual commentary.

The event in South Africa was one-off but IPL will be of around 60 matches. Is it even possible to pull off something of a mountainous scale as IPL when it comes to commentating from home? Deep Dasgupta is of the view that it will definitely be challenging but not impossible but questions if 160 players can travel to the UAE then how will the other 15-20 commentators make a difference.

“Virtual commentary during IPL might not be the first option but I guess it is an option somewhere in the pecking order. Technologically, it will be massive. Yes, there has to be some improvement if IPL thinks about virtual commentary. With practice, things will get better. If IPL happens in the UAE, then around 160 players will be travelling. So how can another 15-20 commentators affect the planning?,” Dasgupta explained.

Production scale is immense in the IPL. It can’t be even compared to other T20 tournaments in the world in terms of quality analysis, entertainment and depth. In a nutshell, IPL is blockbuster. But if the organisers go with the decision of sticking to virtual commentary, will it make a difference? In terms of quality, yes there will be a definite hit. While it is still an early stage, the BCCI might not take the risk of going ahead with virtual commentary as they would look to make the viewing experience as better as possible for fans watching on their TV sets or over the internet.

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“You can never compare on-field commentary with off-field commentary. When you are on the field, you can contribute so much more. When we are off the field, we are seeing what others are seeing on television, so we can’t add more to that. Whereas when you are on the field, you pick up something what you see and start talking about it and then the cameraman can pick it up. And there is constant communication with the producers, directors and everyone associated with the broadcast. But then if are doing virtual commentary more then it will improve with time be it on technical aspect or sharing insights as a commentator,” the former India wicket-keeper explained.

While the news of IPL heading to the UAE has certainly taken the social media by storm, fans are still awaiting an official confirmation. IPL is all about experiencing world’s best T20 tournament, and commentators and presenters play a major role in fulfilling the expectations of viewers.Fans would be eager to watch their favourite franchises in action but they would also be looking forward to seeing their favourite commentators on the field lighting up the magic with their presence and voice.