Dhoni fan from Thalassery is India's youngest cricket commentator

​A 12-year-old boy with a snazzy haircut leans back in his chair, holding a microphone, his eyes rolling over a mobile screen and a live game of cricket in a village in Kerala's Thalassery. A wicket falls. Sathviknath, the commentator, notches up his pitch. There is a pause; he needs to check the runs. He peers into the screen. Without a hint of fluster, he is back, with a parting praise for the batsman. He recently earned the title 'India Book of Records Achiever' for becoming a cricket commentator at the age of 11 years and 10 months.

His journey began unexpectedly, exactly a year ago, on February 2, at a local cricket tournament in Thalassery.

The Thuvakkunnu Brothers (TKB) cricket tournament was underway, and Sathvik's father, Srinath, was one of the organisers. Srinath was also doing live commentary for the matches, often taking his son along to the ground.

Watching his father at the microphone sparked something in Sathvik. "A day before the match, on February 1, he asked me, 'Dad, you are doing commentary, can I also do it?'" Srinath recalled with a smile. "I told him, 'Why not? The mic and setup are there. Just go and do it.'"

Though confident of his son's fluency in English and Hindi, Srinath said that he was still taken by surprise. "When he actually did the commentary, it was far better than I expected. Everyone around was shocked. I immediately recorded it and posted the video online. It went viral, and the response was overwhelmingly positive."

Now 12, Sathvik is an ardent cricket lover whose fascination with the game began early. His mother, Saranya, recalled that cricket has been a constant presence in his life. "He started watching cricket when he was just four or five years old. Back then, we never imagined he would become a commentator. He simply loved watching sports," she said. "He also picked up Hindi and English by watching cartoons and later began practising commentary while watching live matches on television," she recalled.

Saranya said that she was stunned when she first saw the video of her son's commentary. "I was as surprised and thrilled as my husband," she said.

Interestingly, Sathvik himself was unfazed by the attention. Calm and confident, he said commentary comes naturally to him. "I love cricket and watch the game closely. When I watch matches on TV, I listen to commentators and try to do it in my own way," he said, adding that he "does it with passion".

After his performance at the TKB tournament, Sathvik began receiving invitations to commentate on cricket tournaments across Kannur and neighbouring districts. He since lent his voice to major events, including the KCA Elite Cricket Tournament and the Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Memorial Women's T20 tournament.

Recognising his talent, deep understanding of the game and confident delivery, Sathvik was honoured as the youngest cricket commentator and entered into the India Book of Records- a milestone he calls a turning point in his life. "It changed everything for me. I want to become a professional commentator," he said, adding that his dream is to one day commentate on Indian cricket team matches.

Apart from commentary, Sathvik, a sixth-standard student of Able English Medium School, Kadirur, is also an all-rounder and trains at the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) academy at the Thalassery stadium. A fan of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, he is equally serious about his playing career. "I want to represent Kannur and Kerala, and someday India," he said.

Standing firmly behind him are his parents. "We make sure that he gets all the support he needs to pursue what he love," said Srinath. "If a tournament lasts four days, I ensure he gets to commentate on all four days, without disturbing his studies. There is a shortage of good commentators, and I want him to get proper exposure," he said.