When observing someone’s meteoric rise to the top of their industry, it’s natural to think that their success came overnight.
And when turning on the TV to see a flamboyant, colourful and jovial Bharat Sundaresan speak passionately about the game of cricket, it’s equally instinctive to imagine his life as a smooth-sailing boat on a wave of never-ending good times.
But in reality his impressive journalism career has been carved out of adversity, a fastidiousness of approach, a pure love for the game of cricket and a fiercely-fought quest to be himself.
It’s this unique combination that has earned Bharat his place as a world-renowned, award-winning cricket writer and broadcaster, working here in Australia for Channel 7, the ABC, SEN and most notably, as the Australian correspondent for the world’s most-viewed cricket website, Cricbuzz.
Coming from the fast-paced, fevered sprawl of Mumbai and now residing in quieter Summertown, Bharat’s life has been far from linear.
He is immensely proud of his Indian roots, but the conventions and expectations of his country of origin were often at odds with his individuality.
“I grew up in a country and in a household where I was constantly told, ‘this is not right, I don’t know what you’re trying to do, this isn’t proper, who do you think you’re trying to impress?’,” he says.
“Nobody really understood the fact that I wasn’t trying to do any of that, I was just being myself.
“And similarly, I never thought I’d be a commentator, because, again, in India, if you don’t play cricket to a certain level, and you don’t look the part, you’re not fair skinned, they’re not going to put you on TV.
“I still don’t get put on TV in India.”
In a cricket-mad nation comprised of 1.45 billion people, to make a name for yourself as a cricket reporter is an extraordinary feat.
In typical Bharat style, he stuck to his guns and did it his way, coupled with his deep knowledge of the game.
He began at the Mumbai-wing of The Indian Express, where his boss understood him and had his back.
Shortly after arriving in Australia, Bharat was coined the ‘net whisperer’ by seasoned Australian cricket journalist Peter Lalor for his hours-long marathon stints standing behind players in the nets.
“The resident editor in Bombay (Mumbai) would always have the same complaint about the sports team – about nobody else but me – saying, ‘he does a great job, but he always looks like he’s just wearing the same clothes he wore to bed’,” Bharat says.
“Then my boss would always stand up for me and say, ‘but can you find anyone else in this organisation who writes like him?’.”
After moving to Adelaide in 2018 to pursue a new life and “take the plunge” with his wife and best friend, Isha, his new country and its media industry accepted his quirks with open arms.
In an Australian media landscape that is often seen as conservative, with some outlets favouring sensationalised narratives to generate clicks – Bharat knew his approach to journalism could be a point of difference, and a refreshing change of pace for Australian audiences.
“I think my style of journalism has never really changed,” he says.
“That’s because I wasn’t a natural journalist, I was just trying to figure it out for myself.
“I just think it was predestined in a way, because I always have in my life known that extra bit about cricket than your average person.
“I learned very early on that I can’t conform to the Australian style of journalism, and I realised there was also an opening for my style of journalism.”
Shortly after arriving in Australia, Bharat was dubbed the ‘net whisperer’ by seasoned Australian cricket journalist Peter Lalor for his hours-long marathon stints standing behind players in the nets.
Bharat’s profound fascination with the intricacies of the game could be perceived as over-the-top by some.
For many in the media, access to a net-session is merely about casting an eye over the Aussie top-order to see who is ‘hitting them well’, assessing if a niggling injury is impacting Travis Head’s cover-drive, or if the coach of a touring team is ‘feeling the pressure’.
But while some are tucking in to cucumber sandwich number four at the catering table, Bharat is immersing himself in the intangible nuances of a batter’s form – digging up gems to report on while informing his method, his feel for the game.
His attention to detail has earned him the respect of the world’s best, to the point that Australian cricketers have engaged with him about what he has seen, and asked for footage.
In a media climate that can so often be inflammatory, transactional and based on how much drama an article can trigger, Bharat’s earnest style is blazing a trail that has earned him the respect of players, other journalists and of course, the public.
“That’s where the whole net whisperer thing happened, before the first test in Birmingham (2019),” he says.
“And I remember that first net session, other media were doing their thing of how they watch the nets, like they were chatting with each other, watching whatever was happening and then at one point, they all said, ‘I think we’ve seen enough’.
“They were all leaving together and they said, ‘come along’, I said, ‘Steve Smith’s still there’.”
This seemingly routine net session occurred just before Steve Smith’s iconic century at Edgbaston, a career-defining innings that highlighted his resilience after his forced 12-month exile from the game in the wake of Australia’s 2018 ball tampering scandal.
“This was his big comeback, for the first time in a year,” Bharat says.
“So he finished his net session, nobody else was there and everybody’s packing up and the batting coach said, ‘feeling better today, Steve?’.
“And then he just looked up, not at me, but looked up into nothingness and said, ‘no, better tomorrow, better the day after and better the day after tomorrow’.
“And I just said, ‘thank you, Steve Smith, that’s my intro’.”
Fast-forward to 2026 and Bharat has become a staple of cricket coverage in Australia.
It’s a high-tempo, high-pressure environment that requires all of Bharat’s cricket knowledge and articulacy to earn his place working among some of the nation’s best commentators, like greats of the game Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden. Away from all of that, Bharat, Isha, their two dogs, Olivia and Alfie, and flock of chickens find peace and solace at their Summertown property.
“We lived in Norwood for four years and every time we got into the car, we would always come to the Hills and just kind of go, ‘I think we can make this work’,” Bharat says.
“After years of having dealt with noise, you sit here and you just stare into this forest and there are koalas and there are ducks in the pond – it’s just crazy.
“Why wouldn’t we want to call it home?”
