FOR SOMEONE who never set out to be a sports presenter, Isa Guha’s meteoric rise to become one of the most recognisable faces in cricket coverage is nothing short of extraordinary.
It all began in 2011 with an unexpected Twitter message. A producer at ITV reached out, asking if she would be interested in presenting highlights of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"It was two weeks away, and the actress Mandira Bedi was pregnant, so they needed a presenter. I thought they just wanted me to be a pundit," she told the Daily Mail.
What began as an impromptu opportunity soon turned into a defining career shift. She became a mainstay of ITV’s IPL coverage throughout the broadcaster’s tenure, which lasted until 2014.
Australia was next to take notice. Triple M Radio recruited her for its Test cricket commentary team. In 2018, she joined Sky Sports as part of their coverage of England’s Test series against Pakistan.
Her impact in Australia only grew, leading to a coveted role as a commentator and analyst for Fox Cricket – a position she still holds today. Then, in 2020, she achieved a milestone that would have seemed unthinkable when she first picked up a microphone: becoming the lead presenter for the BBC’s flagship Test and ODI highlights show.
Guha understood the significance of the moment. “It’s about representation. There are young kids out there who can relate to someone like myself, and adults as well, because they can see there are opportunities for females and for Asians. They do belong,” she told PA.
“A large percentage of cricket players come from a South Asian background. I recognise the responsibility to reflect that.”
Her career continued to break new ground. In 2023, she was named as one of the presenters to replace Sue Barker on the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage. A year later, she was part of the broadcaster’s team for the Tokyo Olympics.
Yet, it’s easy to forget that before her success in broadcasting, Guha was a trailblazing cricketer. At just 17, she became the first woman of South Asian origin to represent England in any sport when she made her international debut in 2002. She went on to become a two-time World Cup winner in the One-Day and T20 formats and a three-time Ashes champion.
Beyond the camera, Guha is part of the advisory group overseeing the England & Wales Cricket Board’s action plan to engage South Asian communities. She also sits on Wisden Cricket Monthly’s editorial board and serves as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust.
