The biggest mistake is to think that the viewer knows everything: Jatin Sapru told Bhaskar- Research is necessary, I will not forget the India-Pakistan match held at MCG

Jatin Sapru is a commentator for Star Sports.

Star Sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru believes that the biggest mistake is to think that the viewer knows everything. He says that many viewers are not pro-cricket fans, it is important to tell them about all aspects of the match. At the same time, he told that in his broadcasting career, the India-Pakistan match held in the year 2022 at the MCG is his favorite match. He will never forget it.

Star Sports, the official broadcaster of T20 World Cup 2024, organized the Dream Job Contest. After participating for about eight weeks, national powerlifting athlete and runner Soumi Dey Sarkar won the Star Sports ‘Dream Job’. Jatin was the winner of the ‘Dream Job’ in 2007.

Dainik Bhaskar spoke to ‘Dream Job’ contest winner Soumi Dey and broadcaster Jatin Sapru….

Bhaskar’s conversation with Soumi Dey…

1. You were an athlete first, then you came into broadcasting, so how did this change happen and what benefit did you get from being an athlete?
Soumi- As an athlete, you acquire many life skills. These are useful in every stage of life. I learnt from sports that preparation is important. When I became an athlete, I learnt discipline and that was the benefit.

Soumi Dey was the winner of the ‘Dream Job’ contest.

2. What kind of content do you like to create?
Soumi- Overall, the journey as a creator was great. During this time, I created content related to cricket and fitness. Apart from this, I am a scientist, so I have created a lot of content on science. The best thing here was that whatever topics we got, they were very interesting. If you see our content, you will know how much we have enjoyed creating content. There was one content in the journey, which I liked.

There was a challenge in it, which was called ‘Ajab Fan’. I went to a restaurant in Mumbai, where the entire staff was deaf and dumb. There was also a cricketer in the staff there. His passion for cricket was worth seeing. I interacted with him and after that I also took a small interview of him. That was a special content which I liked a lot.

Soumi Dey, besides being an athlete, is also a scientist.

3. 2 thousand people applied for the dream job. How was the journey during the entire process?
Soumi- The journey was very interesting. I tend to get too serious about anything. But I enjoyed it. During this time, we all created a lot of things. We all were having a lot of fun. When my name came in the final-10, then I realized that maybe this is going somewhere in my career. We went to Ahmedabad when the IPL playoffs started. We learned a lot there.

We had to interact with fans live. We had to understand their passion. We had to bring it in front of people. It was exciting.

Bhaskar’s conversation with Jatin Sapru….

1. In today’s era, along with knowledge in commentary, it is also very important to engage the viewers. How do you do this?
Jatin- First of all, honesty is important. The biggest mistake would be to think that the viewer knows everything. You should assume that you have to inform as well as entertain. You should do what is best while respecting the dynamics of the match. The viewer should feel that this broadcast is for him. For example, if a fan’s friend or family has less knowledge of cricket, still they should feel that there is something for them as well.

You cannot take your viewers for granted. You cannot think that the viewers will know everything. For example, a cricket fan knows that a no ball results in a free hit, but there may be an audience that does not know this.

You have to research stats, trends, fan preferences to prepare. When you watch the match on TV, it seems like a big deal, then you go to the ground and you see that it is just a cricket match. It feels very different on TV with 35 cameras and noise. So you have to find a balance. You have to understand how you can make the game relatable for the viewer.

Jatin Sapru has been associated with the broadcasting industry since 2007.

2. You meet players. You meet different commentators. What is the difference between their reel life and real life?
Jatin- If the intent is good then the content will be good. Every player has his own personality. Like Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, all of them want to entertain the fans. Suryakumar Yadav is full of Bollywood. Some players make reels on information or knowledge.

All players become uncomfortable on camera. It is important to know who is the presenter with them to make them comfortable. Winning anyone’s trust is a big challenge. The player trusts you that you have not come with any wrong agenda. You will not try to humiliate him. You have come to know his honest side. Only then do they talk openly.

3. What separate research do you do for analysis of special matches like India-Pakistan matches?
Jatin- Analysis and all the hard work is done before the tournament. We do all the research before the tournament. We get to know everything about all the teams. Before the match, we find out the ground, strategy, pitch, stats of previous matches. We also analyze the playing eleven. Finding a story amidst all this is challenging. It depends on your sense.

We always like to go into the depth of the story. What is really happening where. We prepare our script by maintaining a balance between emotions, preparation and conditions.

4. How do you control your emotions as a presenter? What was going on during the last India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match at the MCG?
Jatin- So many outcomes on one ball rarely come in any match. In real time you do not know what is going to happen next.

Talking about the match played at MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), I can never forget that match. We were there, it seemed that the match was getting out of hand, but we had to control our emotions and encourage the team that played well.

I remember when I was going out of the commentary box towards the field, Sunil Gavaskar Sir was sitting outside. We were broadcasting. As soon as I came to the field, I saw Virat Kohli hit a six in front of Haris Rauf. We started winning. For a few seconds I could not understand what happened, and in a moment the emotions changed.

After the match, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli came. Their emotions were at their peak. A little part of all of us was left there forever.

However, it becomes challenging in the World Cup. There you are supporting your country.

5.How different was your dream job selection from how you started your career?
Jatin- I was not an athlete. I considered myself a field cricketer because I had played zonal level. I was a science student. That’s why I went to pursue engineering. After 6 months, I fought with my family and left engineering and took up journalism. I had no goal, but I was interested in advertising and political journalism. Then the selection for the dream job started and a friend asked me to apply. Auditions were held in 5 cities and journalists with years of experience were also sitting with me. Then I was selected in the top-18 and then it kept happening. I gave my best.

It is named perfectly, it is really a dream job. Every success comes in time, so today’s people should not rush, give the best in whatever you get. You can learn from anyone, camera man, producer also teach you a lot. Just keep enjoying your small successes.