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By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | June 02, 2025 Voice of Indian Cricket “Shastri, Hai Hai!” The chants would echo across Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium whenever Ravi Shastri stepped […]
By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | June 02, 2025
“Shastri, Hai Hai!” The chants would echo across Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium whenever Ravi Shastri stepped out to bat in the late 80s and early 90s. Home crowd hostility is an anomaly in Indian cricket folklore. Yet, Shastri’s game, often labelled too slow or too selfish, never won the masses’ hearts. Not even in his backyard.
But as history would show, the very man they jeered as a cricketer, whose perceived slowness on the field belied a sharp mind, would go on to become the voice millions associate with India’s cricketing highs.
The echoes of those old jeers have long faded, replaced by the now familiar baritone that narrates cricketing action as it unfolds. This was evident in the penultimate match of IPL 2025, last night. As Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer was building the innings under pressure, with massive sixes and delicate fours, Ravi Shastri once again brought drama into the living room. He gave the already classy cricketing shots a folklore status: “That’s high. It’s long. It’s a maaassive six.” “Baang. Way she goes.” The camera followed the ball being deposited into the stands, even as Shastri’s voice echoed in our ears and Shreyas Iyer walked towards his teammates with no emotion on his face.
Statistically, Ravi Shastri’s cricket career was solid if not spectacular:
Those numbers reflect an intelligent, multi-utility player. Shastri started as a left-arm spinner, debuted as a No. 11 batsman, and worked his way up to become an opener—one of the few in world cricket to make such a leap. His adaptability and mental hardiness were underappreciated in a cricketing culture that prized flamboyance over functionality.
But for all his on-field performances—including the feat of hitting six sixes in an over in domestic cricket long before Yuvraj Singh did—he was often criticised for a measured, defensive style, particularly in Tests. His most famous innings, a double hundred in Sydney in 1992, was scored at a strike rate just over 40. This prompted accusations of ‘killing the game’s tempo’. Yet, many failed to see his astute match awareness and ability to play the long game. These traits would define his second innings as a commentator.
Ravi Shastri made his commentary debut in the mid-90s. It quickly became evident that the man had found his true calling. His deep voice, confident tone, and love for drama turned him into a cult figure during India’s cricketing resurgence.
Compare this with Harsha Bhogle, whose articulate, neutral style is rich with research and metaphor. Bhogle is an outsider to professional cricket, and while this has allowed him to represent the viewer’s curiosity, it sometimes lacks the insider’s perspective. Then there’s Sunil Gavaskar, the cricketing legend whose commentary is technical and anecdotal. While Gavaskar’s analysis is steeped in experience, his tone can be dry. He lacks the theatre Shastri brings to the booth.
Let’s consider three specific examples:
India’s triumph in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup (2007) was a defining moment for a new era of Indian cricket. Ravi Shastri’s voice was the narrative backbone. As Sreesanth settled under Misbah-ul-Haq’s misjudged scoop in the final, Shastri thundered: “In the airrrr… Sreesanth takes it! India win!”
A short sentence, perfectly timed, that captured the explosion of emotion felt by an entire nation.
Rewind to India’s group-stage clash against England—a match immortalised in cricketing folklore when Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. Shastri’s commentary during that moment didn’t just chronicle it; it elevated it to legend.
“That’s four in a row… yes! Make that five! Would you believe it?! Yes, we would—because he’s in that kind of mood!”
And finally, as the sixth six soared over midwicket, Shastri erupted: “SIX SIXES in an over! Yuvraj Singh has sent Broad into orbit!”
That wasn’t just a statistical milestone—it was history being made in real time. Shastri’s voice gave it a cinematic climax. His ability to match voice modulation to emotion made viewers feel they were part of the moment. While other commentators might have stated facts or numbers, Shastri felt the moment and made you feel it too!
“Dhoni finishes off in style…” is not just a line, it’s an anthem. It framed a billion fulfilled dreams. That line, delivered with pitch-perfect modulation, gave every Indian goosebumps. No lengthy build-up, no over-intellectualising—just theatre and timing. Bhogle or Gavaskar may have gone into statistical tangents or historical reflections; Shastri gave us cinema.
Though not in the commentary box, as coach, Shastri’s passionate post-match interviews and team-building language elevated the feat into mythology. It again showed his flair for narrative, essential in both commentary and leadership.
Shastri’s appeal lies in his ability to elevate a moment. His voice acts like a crescendo in a musical score—building the tension, releasing it, and leaving a lasting echo. That’s not an accident. It takes cricketing intelligence to feel the gravity of a moment and the theatre of timing to translate it vocally.
Many forget that Shastri (like Shreyas Iyer) is an alumnus of Don Bosco High School, Matunga, with a mind trained in logic, discipline, and communication. His phraseology is minimal yet potent. He doesn’t say, “He’s hit it well.” He says, “That’s gone like a tracer bullet!”
Where Bhogle brings prose, and Gavaskar brings data, Shastri brings punch.
Ravi Shastri never got the love Sachin Tendulkar did, the acclaim of Rahul Dravid or the awe of VVS Laxman. However, his ability to reinvent himself—first as an all-rounder, then as a premier commentator, and later as the coach of one of India’s most successful Test sides—makes him a case study in personal evolution.
In the razzmatazz of the modern IPL, where cricket meets cinema, no one blends the two better than Ravi Shastri. Whether it’s a no-look six from Rinku Singh or a last-ball thriller at the Wankhede, Shastri’s voice turns moments into spectacles. His signature delivery—“Up goes the finger! The drama continues!“—transforms even a routine DRS into high-stakes theatre.
There’s rhythm, swagger, and a magnetic cadence to his tone that makes every delivery feel historic. Ironically, the stadiums that once echoed with “Shastri, Hai Hai” now reverberate with his booming voice—not in protest, but in reverence. He is no longer the cricketer the crowd loved to hate; he’s the voice they can’t imagine cricket without. He’s the voice they now expect in their triumphant cricketing moments. They expect it in their drawing rooms.
In a world that celebrates flamboyance but often forgets fortitude, Shastri stands tall, microphone in hand, voice booming.
History is waiting to be told again, and again.
[Moody Marty: Sometimes funny, sometimes informative, always downright forthright!]
Also Read: IPL Commentary Controversy: Getting personal with Sanjay Manjrekar!
Also Read: Ravi Shastri ‘delivers’ for MSD!
