Archana Vijay:

Upping the glam quotient is television presenter Archana Vijay. Not new to cricket, she knows the game but admits IPL is a different ball game, “It’s an adrenaline rush like nothing else! In my five years of cricket anchoring, nothing matches up to this mania. I get spent emotionally after each match.”
With hectic schedules and constant travelling, she is living out of a suitcase now. “The last ten odd days I’ve been sleeping mostly in planes and airports. The only ticket to normality is working out. Running for an hour is extremely relaxing,” says the vivacious presenter.
Along with Shibani Dandekar, she adds oomph to IPL but she reasons, “We are like garnish, but the cream is the sport. We try to make it as glamourous as possible.” But her job doesn’t end there. Being on field, she is aware that she needs to know her facts. “I follow all match updates and speak to as many people as possible,” she says.
She wholeheartedly agrees that cricket is a male-dominated sport and creating a niche for herself was not easy. “It’s nice to see people tell me that my presence goes way beyond my looks. They reckon my knowledge of the game too,” she adds.
So, who is her top five in IPL? “Dale Steyn, Virat Kohli, Brett Lee, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma!” she says after a lot of thinking. Getting a taste of the field action is a high. “I’ve met Shahrukh Khan, Raj Kundra and Shilpa, Nita Ambani and Preity Zinta. Popular to what they appear to the rest of the world, this is one time you can actually see their true emotions. It’s something else.” The IPL after-parties are just as popular and she says, “The team owners go out of their way to ensure the cricketers have a good time after a long day. Some of the best parties I’ve attended were in Jaipur. Raj and Shilpa are great hosts.”

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Gaurav Kapur:
This young television presenter is synonymous with the IPL. “I’ve been watching cricket since my childhood. The people I share the dais with are my heroes. Anchoring and cricket come naturally to me,” says the spirited host who simplifies the cricket jargon in the studios.
Working with veterans like Ajay Jadeja, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Navjot Singh Sidhu translates to hours of fun and chaos. “My bond with each of them goes way beyond the show. Sidhu is such a riot. He gives me the leeway to pull his leg all the time. Sunny Uncle and I go way back as Rohan (Gavaskar) is a close buddy. The banter is for all to see,” he shares.
The same men happen to be seasoned cricket experts, so how does he match up to them professionally? “I watch all games, do my research and keep up with the sport before I interact or ask questions,” adds Gaurav matter-of-factly.
Even he cannot deny the high glamour quotient attached to IPL-5 with respect to the anchors. The theme song, Aisa Maukaa Phir Kahaan Milega is ruling the airwaves now but shooting for it was quite tedious. “It was horrible!” says Gaurav with a laugh. “We used motion capture technique and that’s how you see Samir (Kochchar) and I multiplying and dividing onscreen. Imagine coordinating the shots, combined with me dancing all over the place. We had to do 27 takes! I was totally exhausted.” recalls Gaurav Which teams look poised to win the tournament? “Delhi Daredevils is in great form now, especially with Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jayawardene in. One must watch out for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals this year,” he says.
Rubbing shoulders with some of the top cricketers in the world part of his job and Gaurav is lapping it all up, but who is captain royale? “Dada and Dravid take the cake. They are a class apart.” Speaking of Dada, he adds, “I cannot wait to see Sourav Ganguly lead the Pune Warriors at Eden Gardens. That’s going to be one electrifying sight to see.”