New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has terminated its contract with veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle for the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
According to media reports, the 54-year-old was informed about the termination of his IPL contract just a week back. He has been associated with Indian cricket from a long time and has been the voice of Indian cricket since 2008.
The decision came as a surprise as Bhogle conducted the league's draft auction and featured in its promotional videos. His name was on the 51-day-long duty roster for commentators, and even his flight tickets were booked by the organisers, said the report.
Bhogle said that he is still unaware about the official reason for the BCCI's decision.
“No one told me anything. I have not been formally told of the reason even now. All I have been told is it is a BCCI management decision,” he said.
When BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur and IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla were asked about the reason why his contractor was terminated, the two refused to comment on the development.
“When deciding the commentators, we take feedback from everyone. We monitor social media reactions on commentators, and also take inputs from players,” a senior BCCI official, on condition of obscurity, said.
One of the reasons for Bhogle's last-minute ouster can be an incident which occurred during India’s opening WorldT20 game at Nagpur last month, where Bhogle is reported to have had a heated exchange with a Vidharbha Cricket Association official.
