'King of Commentary': Aaron Finch Brands Ravi Shastri Voice of Cricket

Ravi Shastri is certainly one of the most iconic commentators in the history of international cricket having delivered some of the most stirring lines while calling the game including the famous “Dhoni finishes off in style!’ as the legendary India captain hit the title winning six during the 2011 ODI World Cup final.

Shastri, one of the finest allrounders to have represented India at the international level, has carved out a successful career in broadcasting and is now of the most sought after voices in the world of cricket.

Currently, he’s part of the Fox Sports commentary team for the ongoing Big Bash League in Australia.

In a clip shared on the official handle of the BBL on X (formerly Twitter), fellow commentators Aaron Finch and Mark Howard heaped high praise on Shastri as they welcomed him.

“He (Shastri) is the king of commentary and voice of cricket for such a long time,” Finch said.

The 61-year-old Shastri played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India between 1981 and 1992, winning the ODI World Cup in 1983 and World Championship of Cricket in 1985 where he also won the Champions of the Champion award for his all-round show.

He has also worked as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team having earlier served as the Director of Cricket.

Meanwhile, Shastri had earlier said one-day cricket has to evolve with the time to stay relevant.

“It (One-day format) has to evolve, changes have to be made,” Shastri said on Club Prairie Fire while responding to query from Australia legend Adam Gilchrist’s query on ODI’s place in the current landscape when T20 format has gained significant popularity.

“When we (India) won the world cup in 1983, it was a 60 overs (per side) game. It changed to 50 overs (per side). You’ve got to evolve with the time. The attention time of a spectator is diminishing,” he added.