It is the summer of 2024, and Vindhya Vishakha Medapati is back on the small screen for the ongoing star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL). Glamorous and spontaneous, Vindhya, one of the Telugu presenters — actor Nandu and anchor Ravi being the other two — has a way with words and numbers for Star Sports channel. A VJ, model and television entertainment host, Vindhya has created a space for herself in the niche cricket circuit. Vindhya Vishakha during the cricket World Cup 2023 | Photo Credit: Special arrangement “IPL 2024 is my seventh edition,” says Vindhya, who was the first female Telugu sports presenter for IPL in 2018. She adds that a presenter is a bridge between expert commentators and a cricket viewer. While experts (former cricketers) discuss strategies, technicalities and intricacies of the players’ game/team, a presenter tries to see a match through the viewers’ eyes, asking questions and clarifying doubts. Their interaction with stars coming to the television studios increases the excitement and boosts audience engagement. Presenter for Pro-kabaddi Presenter with Pro-Kabaddi | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Vindhya, an English literature student from Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College for Women was an extrovert with no stage fright. Her television stint started in her college days, as a news presenter on HMTV in 2011, and grew to become a host, for entertainment, and game shows/programmes for Star Maa, TV9, Zee Telugu and ETV. Having played for the Darling Devils team in Kevv Kabaddi (kabaddi game show) on Gemini, she made her debut as a sports presenter for Pro-kabaddi (KBD Live Season 5) in 2017 for Star Sports (Telugu). When Star Sports acquired the broadcasting rights of IPL and was looking for a Telugu sports presenter, Vindhya was not confident as cricket was a game she had only watched and cheered. She still went ahead to audition for the role with a ‘it is just an audition, not a real presentation’ attitude; being selected was a pleasant surprise to her. Literature student Vindhya Vishakha with Ravi Shastri | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Though a fan of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers franchise, she never thought of becoming a presenter, it was her cricket enthusiast husband Vishal, who was her huge support. Recalling their initial days of marriage, she says with a laugh, “Sometimes I used to see him watch a cricket test match at 2am and would jokingly say, ‘I am going to divorce you if you watch like this’ but when I got the IPL show offer, it was his turn to tease me and say, ‘God is there, I’m so happy he’s putting you in the right place.” Style of presentation Memorable moment… Vindhya Vishakha with David Beckham | Photo Credit: Special arrangement She has come a long way from being nervous and doing homework before a presentation. Having watched sports presenters Mandira Bedi and Mayanti Langer, Vishakha created her unique style. Interacting with experts and sports presenters of English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil channels during breaks, watching a game with others and making notes have all been part of her learning experience. Focus on statistics with actor Nani | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Her talk points, questions to experts and presentation style evolved over the years. The experience of presenting the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023 and the Asia Cup and interacting with Vivian Richards, Sachin Tedulkar and David Beckham have been feathers in her cap. “ . Earlier I would read up about batsmen’s and bowlers’ techniques. Now, I know the sport, get the statistics right and read the docket to remember the key contest between two teams. .” Spreading Telugu flavour IPL commentary team | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Presenting comfortably in Telugu is an added advantage. “My mother says, maa ammayi ki emochhina raaka poyina, Telugu maatram spashtam ga ravali ( whether my daughter gets anything or not, she should get the Telugu correctly).” Catching up with commentator Harsha Bhogle (“Harsha loves talking to me because I speak a lot of Telugu with him”) or her video with DK (Dinesh Karthik during the 2023 World Cup) in Telugu or recently teaching a few Telugu words to MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) to teach his daughter makes not just her mother but Telugu cricket fans too quite happy. On the personal front, dealing with her father’s illness (chronic kidney issue) has been stressful. “Initially, I couldn’t balance work and personal life and used to cry. I was depressed for six months but have accepted the situation now. I greatly respect my father, a farmer, who never rests. Even after dialysis, when he goes home to Ghatkeskar, he first goes to his dairy to tend to his cows and buffaloes.” Next goal Making a mark | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Exploring possibilities to grow to the fullest has been her dictum for life. While she balances sports presentations with pre-release events, trailer launches and corporate events, Vindhya hopes to be an entrepreneur. Finally, who does she think will win IPL 2024? “SunRisers Hyderabad; not only because I am a huge fan but the team is looking great,” she says with a laugh, , “If you see the IPL history, the trophy went to the Hyderabad team when it had an Australian captain – (Adam Gilchrist/ Deccan Chargers (2009) and David Warner/SunRisers Hyderabad (2016). This time, we have Pat Cummins, an Australian captain for the SunRisers team.”
