Devender Kumar
Devender Kumar (born 1988) is an Indian sports commentator.[1][2] He is also a BBC Test Match Special Commentator. For his passion, bravery, and dedication to Afghanistan Cricket he also known as the "voice of Afghanistan cricket"[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Devendra Kumar was born in 1988 in Chhatarpura village near Jodhpur.[4][3] He was educated at a government Hindi-medium school.[5] He holds a diploma in nursing.[6][3]
From an early age, Kumar had an interest in cricket commentary. He was influenced by Tony Greig's commentary and made efforts to learn English using radio programs, such as Voice of America's Dynamic English, and English dictionaries.[6]
Career
[edit]Kumar began his professional career as a staff nurse.[6] He was offered a job at a hospital in New York, but he declined to focus on his career as a commentator.[6][3]
As a commentator, Kumar was given an opportunity to commentate on the Ireland vs. Afghanistan cricket series in 2017.[6][3] He has been doing commentary for domestic and international cricket matches under the Afghanistan Cricket Board since 2017.[5]
Apart from cricket, Kumar has also commentated for other sports, including badminton, football, handball, horse polo, kabaddi, karate, tennis, and volleyball.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Rajta, Subhash (December 17, 2017). "Chasing his Tony Greig dream: Nowhere to right there". The Tribune.
- ^ Acharya, Shayan (August 12, 2022). "Near-death experience won't stop Indian cricket commentator from calling the game in Afghanistan". The Hindu. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ a b c d e "The Indian commentator who is now the voice of Afghanistan cricket". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "Braving bomb blast, winning hearts: Indian commentator Devender Kumar's journey from Jodhpur to Kabul". September 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Dadhich, Mahesh (August 20, 2022). "क्रिकेट की दीवानगी ने पहुंचाया अफगानिस्तान, ठीक से आती नहीं थी हिंदी, अब इंग्लिश में करते हैं कमेंट्री" [Cricket craze brought him to Afghanistan, he did not know Hindi properly, now he does commentary in English]. News18 (in Hindi). Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ a b c d e Ashish Mehta (December 18, 2017). "The 'Tony Greig' from Jodhpur village". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ Dani, Bipin (June 5, 2023). "Indian voice in Sri Lanka-Afghanistan matches". Deccan Chronicle.