Steve Smith, the star Australian batter, made his commentary debut in an unusual way on Friday for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Earlier this week, Smith had announced his participation in the T20 tournament, but he had not revealed the exact nature of his involvement. This led to speculation that he could be commentating since he had not signed up to play with any team in the IPL.
Smith’s appearance alongside his countrymen Tom Moody and Aaron Finch at Star Sports’ pre-match coverage in India confirmed the speculation that he would be a commentator. However, while Moody and Finch were physically present, Smith appeared as a hologram. The unusual TV experiment was well received by cricket lovers on social media.
GOAT of Test – Steve Smith in Star Sports IPL panel. pic.twitter.com/d8BleYjXGV
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 31, 2023
Australian Cricketer Steve Smith joined the commentary panel via Hologram technology!!
Steve Smith looks like he’s really present. Sci-fi stuff.
Suddenly we see real time implementations of technologies which were a buzz word for past few years!#hologram #IPL pic.twitter.com/WsLtF1fsDQ
— Jatin Malhotra (@jatin1malhotra) March 31, 2023
Wonderful use of technology by Star Sports to have Steve Smith’s hologram in the studio as part of the IPL coverage, while he is in Australia. pic.twitter.com/74izVLdGOH
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) March 31, 2023
Steve Smith joins the Star broadcast’s panel via Hologram technology 🤯🤩
📸: StarSports #cricket #IPL #CSKvsGT #CSK #GTvCSK pic.twitter.com/jbxE1RBG6c
— Mominul Islam (@MominulCric) March 31, 2023
Star Sports officially announced that Smith would be involved in the network’s commentary of the lucrative IPL. In a statement, the network said, “Steve Smith has joined the expert panel for the marquee tournament. Smith will be making his broadcast debut with Star Sports, adding his invaluable insights and expertise to Star Sports’ already impressive roster of panellists.” This ended the mystery about his return to the event.
The 16th edition of the IPL started in Ahmedabad on Friday, with ten teams and a host of celebrities in attendance for the eight-week tournament. With Smith’s inclusion in the commentary panel, fans will have another reason to tune in to the matches. Smith’s vast experience and knowledge of the game are expected to add value to the coverage of the tournament.