Somewhere along the highway in Bihar, a man stops for food. Before he can order, the dhaba owner recognizes him. “You’re the one doing the Bhojpuri commentary,” says the owner, breaking into a big smile. “I feel like we’re actually there.
That man is Robin Singh: coach, talent spotter and now one of the most recognizable voices in regional cricket broadcasting.
In a tournament that has made stars out of batsmen and bowlers, Robin is quietly doing something different: giving 50 million Bhojpuri-speaking fans a seat at the table.
When JioCinema introduced Bhojpuri commentary during IPL 2023 along with Punjabi, Odia and Gujarati as part of the 12-language broadcast, it was a gamble rooted in demographics. The gamble paid off spectacularly. The opening weekend alone saw 147 million video views, the highest ever for IPL on digital. By the 2024 season, the total reach has grown to 620 million viewers, a year-on-year increase of 38 percent, with 12 regional language channels cited as a key factor. MS Dhoni, no less, called the Bhojpuri commentary “high-energy” and said it reminded him of old radio commentaries.
GIVING THE HEART ITS OWN VOICE
Robin knows exactly why it works.
“Whenever we visit Bhojpuri speaking areas or meet people who have seen us on Star Sports or JioHotstar, they come and talk to us,” Robin Singh told India Today in an exclusive interaction mediated by JioStar.
“They tell us that they feel as if they are not just watching or listening to the play, but actually experiencing it. The way things are said reminds them of conversations back home in their villages – the expressions, the emotions, even the anger feels the same. Wherever we go, people appreciate the Bhojpuri commentary and recognize us because of it. They even mention how their villages are referenced in the comments and shared on social media, as if to say that their village’s response was overwhelming.”
But the warm welcome behind it is worth the effort. Maintaining that flavor while providing sharp and accurate cricket analysis is harder than it looks, and Robin is the first to admit it.
“Yes, maintaining that flavor is a challenge and requires a lot of preparation,” he says. “We visit villages, spend time at home, meet elders, friends, students and young cricketers. We also interact with our regular viewers to understand what’s trending and stay active on social media. We constantly try to bring something new, be it in tone or expression. Our producers also play a big role. For every match and situation, we try to connect with Bhojpuri and Jhark regional speaking players belt, hand Commentary requires a lot of effort, but by God’s grace everything is on the right track.’
TALENT-SPOTTER BEHIND THE RISING STARS OF BIHAR
It’s a philosophy that goes beyond the microphone. Robin spent years doing something similar in the dusty academies and district estates of Bihar: finding cricketers overlooked by the system and building a bridge between raw talent and the big stage. When the fearless prodigy Sakib Hussain — a fast, unknown leg-spinner from Gopalganj who once earned Rs 300 a match on the tennis-ball circuit — arrived in Patna for trials, Robin saw the wayward accuracy approach the pace beneath him.
He made a deal with Sakib: give up tennis ball cricket and I’ll support you. In this IPL season, Sakib made his debut for SRH with a stunning four for 24 against Rajasthan Royals, hitting a speed of 145 kmph, earning him the nickname ‘Gopalganj’s Rabada’.
Then there is Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Robin first met him in 2019 at the GenNext Academy – a “small, cute kid with long hair” from Samastipur, barely a teenager. One session was enough.
“I could see he was special. Very, very special,” Robin recalls.
He attended Vaibhav’s early morning sessions alongside coach Manish Ojha and watched the phenom take shape up close. The world took notice later when Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in IPL history in 2025. Robin already knew that.
There’s a thread running through it all – comments, coaching, scouting. At his core, Robin Singh is a man who believes that the heart has always had something to offer. He simply makes sure that it is finally heard.
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– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
11 May 2026 22:48 IST
