IPL 2018: 4 popular commentators who are being missed 

Dhoonniii!!! Finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd. India lift the World Cup after 28 years...parties start in the dressing room. And it's an Indian captain, who has been absolutely magnificent in the night of the final.

No Indian cricket fan can ever forget these lines spoken on-air by Ravi Shastri as MS Dhoni deposited the ball into the capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2nd, 2011.

Cricket is as much about fantastic visuals as it is about the voice behind the microphone that brings about exaltation and passion amongst viewers. Just try remembering any famous cricket moments and one would realise that most of them are imprinted in our minds along with the person describing that occasion.

We are so used to watching cricket with the commentators in the background that we sometimes underestimate the value that they bring to our experience of following our favourite game.

Cricket commentary is not as easy as it may look from the outside as commentators have to learn a lot of tricks and methods not only to make the coverage exciting but also to get used to the technology involved.

Also, someone who is being watched can have a lot of tricks up his sleeve to flatter the audience, but one who is being heard has his voice and it's modulations as his only armoury.

Since most former cricketers move into the com-box after calling it a day on the field, it takes them time to make the switch from cricketing technique to commentary expertise.

Just like in any other field, commentating too has some greats surrounded by the ordinary ones. Here is a list of five such commentators who, because of the connection they have built with fans courtesy their enthralling skills, are fan favourites and are thus being missed during the ongoing IPL season.

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Ravi Shastri

Current India coach Ravi Shastri has done justice to every role that he has served in the cricket world. After serving his country as an able cricketer with all-round ability, he made a big name in the field of cricket commentating.

In his present role as the head coach of the Indian team as well, the Mumbaikar is delivering the goods as the team seems to share with him the kind of rapport required for a sound dressing room environment. In fact, the reason that he has to stay away from the IPL is to avoid a situation of conflict of interest, since an incumbent of the BCCI is not allowed to hold two positions simultaneously.

"In the airrr...Sreesanth takes it. India win! Unbelievable scenes here at the Bull Ring." Shastri's description of the winning moment of the inaugural WT20 in 2007.

He has been the voice behind some of India's most famous victories and achievements. Be it the 2011 World Cup, the 2007 WT20 triumph, Yuvraj's six sixes, or Sachin's ODI double hundred, Shastri has been the common link captivating the viewers on all these momentous occasions.

"First man on the planet to reach 200. And it's the Superman from India" Shastri covering Tendulkar's remarkable achievement of scoring the first double hundred in ODI cricket.

Some of his phrases, which have also been targeted by social media trolls, are his trademark words that he uses in most match situations. These include 'and it races away to the fence like a tracer bullet', 'all three results possible', 'this match is going down to the wire', 'takes the aerial route' amongst others.

Virender Sehwag

No one in the com-box entertains as much as Virender Sehwag

"Pakistan ko goli se darr nahi lagta sahab, Kohli se lagta hai" translates into English as Pakistan don't fear bullets but they fear Kohli.

When it comes to entertainment in cricket, there are not many who can compete with swashbuckling former Indian opener Virender Sehwag. During his playing days, Sehwag entertained crowds and viewers with his extraordinary batting skills.

His roles have changed since retirement but his job as an entertainer has surely not. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that he is even more entertaining now, as there is no fear of him failing on that front, a feeling we all experienced when he was at the batting crease.

The Nawab of Najafgarh has been a regular with the Hindi commentary team. His way of explaining match situations and describing on-field players brings unmatched fun to listeners.

His one-liners, which can only be borne out of his mind, will leave you in splits. These include:

"Abhi Abhi Nehra kuch samjha kar gaye hain Pandya ko. Iska faayeda bhi ho sakta hai, nuksaan bhi" which simply means that Nehra's advice to Pandya could prove fruitful but could also prove to be damaging (India vs Bangladesh WT20 2016)

Sehwag's popularity amongst followers has also increased manifold due to his active presence on social microblogging site Twitter.

"Yeh itna asaan catch tha ki Sholay ka Thakur bhi le leta" which means that it was such an easy catch that a person without hands could have also caught it.

The entertainer that he is, he surely must be rueing his absence in the com-box as much as his fans are. Although, he is doing a good job in his present role of the Team Director of Kings XI Punjab as the new look team is delivering good results on the park.

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Navjot Singh Sidhu leaves you in splits with his commentary

The ultimate man of metaphors, former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu is a passionate cricket commentator who seldom leaves room for others in the com-box. When he is on air, he either leaves you in splits of laughter or provokes you to turn your television on mute, depending on how you perceive it.

His one-liners which are also known as Sidhuisms, mostly with metaphorical references, are unique to him and drawn out of unimaginable facets of life. His style of delivering dialogues and jargons such as 'Thoko Taali' and 'Chaa gye guru' exuberate tremendous energy.

"Cooker aur South Africa, pressure mei dono ki seeti baj jati hai", is Sidhu's way of saying that under crunch pressure situations, South Africans blow up like a pressure cooker.

Sherry, as he is fondly called, was a regular in the com-box and pre-match shows in the earlier editions of the IPL. With the telecast and media rights now switching ownership, Navjot Singh Sidhu is left with only one role- that of a Cabinet Minister in the State Government of Punjab.

Sourav Ganguly

Dada's banter in the com-box is unparalleled

Prince of Calcutta, Sourav Ganguly, will always be remembered for the fighting character that he instilled in the Indian team at the turn of the millennium. Made the leader of the team in times of doldrums, Ganguly led from the front and gave his players the belief and confidence to succeed at the highest level.

Having seen the progress of Indian cricket closely and having contributed to it first hand, Dada never shies away from defending team India when he is behind the mic in the commentary box.

"The ground belongs to Ganguly", was Dada's reply to Ravi Shastri on being cheekily asked whether there was a stand or pavilion named after him at the majestic Eden Gardens.

Be it getting involved in friendly banter with Ravi Shastri or wittily answering back to English counterpart Nasser Hussain, Ganguly has shown on numerous occasions that the cricket field is not the only place where he ruled.

"If India had played football for 50 years, then we would have qualified for the finals at least once." This is what the former Indian captain had to say when asked by Nasser Hussain as to when could he see India playing at the FIFA World Cup.

Often a member of the English commentary team, the former Indian captain also sometimes lends his voice to the Hindi coverage of matches, and the Bengali touch in his Hindi makes him exciting to listen to.

An able administrator, the Lord of the off-side is now the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal, a position due to which he has to do away his duties as a commentator.