Vijay Lokapally, a prominent Indian sports journalist, has garnered considerable acclaim for his comprehensive cricket coverage. It is my honor for me to share my interview with him.
Vijay Lokapally’s enduring association with The Hindu, a preeminent Indian newspaper, has been a cornerstone of his illustrious career. Lokapally is esteemed for his discerning analysis, meticulous match reports, and insightful interviews. His repertoire spans a myriad of cricket events, encompassing both domestic and international matches, where he has consistently delivered astute commentary and nuanced perspectives on the sport.
Vijay Lokapally: My journey began from two things that were always part of me—my love for cricket and a flair for writing,” he says. “My mother noticed it early. Even in my childhood, when I wrote letters to my cousins, I was very prolific. Cricket, of course, was my other obsession. Like many of us, I followed it with keen interest and wanted to be part of the game in some way.
Lokapally’s father initiated him into the habit of reading newspapers and magazines, and libraries became his second home. But destiny truly nudged him forward when Bishan Singh Bedi retired from international cricket. “I felt his retirement wasn’t properly documented. So, I dashed off a letter of appreciation to a few newspapers,” he told me. “Patriot published it in full, and to my surprise, I soon received a handwritten note from Mr. Bedi himself, praising my writing. That moment changed everything. I began to take my words seriously.”
The roots, however, stretched back even further, to 1969. That year, his mother, Sarla, gifted him a ticket to watch the India–Australia Test at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Every evening after play, I would sit her down and give her my detailed analysis of the day’s proceedings. One day she said, ‘Why don’t you write your experience? ‘A sports writer was born that day. Later, Mr. Bedi’s faith in my writing only gave me the confidence I needed to continue.
Like many youngsters of his generation, Lokapally once dreamed of being a cricketer himself. Writing offered him the next best thing. “It was the perfect way to stay connected to the game I loved. Cricket writing allowed me to live the sport, and it gave me the privilege of traveling the world with it.”
If his childhood nurtured his love for words and cricket, The Hindu became the institution that shaped his craft. Lokapally joined the newspaper in 1986 when it launched its Delhi edition, and remained with it until his retirement in 2020.
“I worked with The Hindu for 34 years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place. It was a newspaper defined by credibility, and its commitment to sport was extraordinary. From Sport & Pastime in 1947 to Sportstar in 1978, and the iconic Saturday Sports Special, the group gave sport the kind of coverage few others could match.”
Lokapally was also in the company of giants. “The Hindu engaged some of the finest foreign writers—Jack Fingleton, Robin Marlar, Ted Corbett, Brunnel Jones, Tony Cozier, Mike Coward, Peter Roebuck. Alongside them were India’s own stalwarts: SK Gurunathan, PN Sundaresan, Rajan Bala, and R. Mohan. Personally, R. Mohan remains the greatest cricket writer I have ever known. I’ve seen cricketers themselves consult him for perspective, which speaks volumes about his stature.”
The paper also instilled in him professional values that shaped his approach. “Accuracy and deadlines were non-negotiable. I never missed the first ball of a cricket match I was assigned to cover. Domestic sport gave me room to experiment with my style, and writing on football, hockey, table tennis, and badminton broadened my understanding of India’s sporting culture. Covering these disciplines deepened my respect for our stalwarts—I continue to revere many of them.”
Photo courtesy The Print
For Lokapally, cricket writing has always gone beyond mere scores or match reports. It has been about capturing the spirit of the game, the human stories, and the voices behind the sport. “The Saturday Sports Special, Sportstar, and Frontline gave us platforms to explore feature writing in depth. That allowed me to write about the game in ways that went beyond statistics—about the emotions, the journeys, and the culture that cricket represented.”
Looking back, Lokapally remains humble about his journey. “Writing gave me the chance to live the game in my own way. And if, in the process, I managed to bring cricket closer to readers, then I feel truly blessed.”
We then went on to explore a variety of other subjects.
Ravi: How has your tenure at The Hindu shaped your cricket writing and journalism approach?
Vijay Lokapally: I worked with the best newspaper in the world, where credibility characterized the organization. I was fortunate to contribute to The Hindu, Sportstar, Frontline, and the Saturday Sports Special. I benefited immensely from covering domestic sport. It allowed me to experiment with my style because The Hindu insisted on accuracy and a deadline. I never missed the first ball of a cricket match that I was assigned to cover. Writing on football, hockey, table tennis, and badminton allowed me to respect our stalwarts. I revere some of them for their contributions.
Ravi: How was your experience with your colleagues from the profession?
Vijay Lokapally: I am blessed to have worked with KP Mohan, Kamesh Srinivasan, Rakesh Rao, YB Sarangi, Rajshekhar Rao, and Kirti Patil. It was arguably the best sports department in the country. Mohan, Kamesh, Rakesh, and Sarangi are authorities in sports journalism, flawless and with a tremendous eye to spot talent. I am grateful to KP Mohan, who sacrificed his cricket reporting to allow me to pursue my career. He encouraged me the most. I can never forget friends from the profession – Manoj Vatsyayana, Dwarkanath Sanzgiri, Harpal Singh Bedi, KV Prasad, Norris Pritam, Manoj Chaturvedi, Rajender Sharma, Debasish Dutta, and Ajay Naidu- who have been very supportive. I also remember my seniors R. Sriman (Times of India), Jagannadha Rao (Press Trust of India), Raghunath Rau (Statesman), CS Rao (Hindustan Times), Raju Bharatan (Illustrated Weekly), S. Thyagarajan (The Hindu), and S. Krishnan (Sports Editor, The Hindu). I was fortunate to have been guided by them. I also gained from my interactions over the years with reputed commentators like Dr. Narottam Puri, Ravi Chaturvedi, and Sushil Doshi. They all have contributed to making cricket popular among the masses with their outstanding work on the radio.
Ravi: One person who has stood like a rock in your support.
Vijay Lokapally: My childhood friend, Ghaus Mohd, who pushed me to write daily. Would often take my articles to the Patriot newspaper and plead for them to be published. He trusted my reading of the game and writing abilities. He has contributed more than 500 articles (in Hindi) to various publications. He developed into a commentator to command respect, working from three Olympics, three Commonwealth Games, and two Asian Games. Footballers loved his work. I owe a lot to him and KP Mohan.
Ravi: Reflecting on your career, could you share some of the most memorable moments or matches you’ve covered as a cricket journalist and what made them stand out for you?
India v. Pakistan 2003 World Cup (photo courtesy SportsBoom)
Vijay Lokapally: There are many matches. I remember the 1999 World Cup semifinal between Australia and South Africa. It was a tie, and I had to give my best. India’s win over Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup was memorable too. On both occasions, I was challenged by the tight deadline due to the time difference. The 10/74 performance by Anil Kumble against Pakistan at Delhi in 1999 is dear to me. The epic 2001 win at the Eden Gardens (India beating Australia) was again a thrilling experience. India’s historic tour to South Africa in 1992-93 was special. The 2003 win over Australia at Adelaide 2003 is unforgettable. What can I say of the farewell series for Sachin Tendulkar against the West Indies? It gives me goosebumps. I had to come up with a little-known Sachin story every day. I am happy I could deliver. There are many more from the domestic circuit. Meeting Nelson Mandela and Jagjit Singh (singer) was memorable.
Ravi: Are there any particular interviews or interactions with cricketers that left a lasting impression on you or significantly impacted your perspective on the sport?
Vijay Lokapally: Interviewing Graeme Pollock (in Johannesburg), Ian Redpath (in Melbourne), Viv Richards (in Antigua), Brian Lara (in Port of Spain), Basil Butcher and Conrad Hunte, Subhash Gupte (in Kingston), Lala Amarnath, the Bedser twins (at Lord’s), Jeff Thomson (in Brisbane), Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva (in Colombo), Imran Khan (in Sharjah) was gratifying. These are just some names from my big list of exclusive interactions. I am also proud of my long-form interviews with Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi and Kapil Dev on the technical aspects of their game, and my many exclusive interviews with Sachin Tendulkar.
Ravi: Journalism is mainly about access to your source. How comfortable is your source with you as a person? How far are they willing to trust you?
Vijay Lokapally: You develop your sources over a period of time. They come to trust you over time. Depends on your relationship with them! Trust factor is always mutual. Word spreads if you expose the source and that can be a scar on your credibility for all times.
Ravi: Are they okay with you getting a glimpse into their lives? Do they indeed let you in? Much of this goes beyond the techniques you can learn from textbooks. It’s about how you connect with people and what kind of personality you have, too. That’s why even though it’s excellent to study journalism formally (so you know what you’re doing), it can only partially guarantee success.
Vijay Lokapally: Friendship can be professional and personal. You have to draw a line. Your proximity/friendship should not influence your reading of the game and the individual. I don’t look to take a peep into their personal lives. Would you allow them to take a peek into your private life? They come to respect you for your work. You are right that journalism classes can only partially guarantee success. Life lessons have to be learnt out there on the field.
Ravi: What key challenges have you faced as a cricket journalist, and how have you navigated through them over the years? On the flip side, what have been some of the most satisfying moments or achievements in your cricket writing career?
Vijay’s book about Virat Kohli
Vijay Lokapally: Keeping pace with the changes in the game is always a challenge. I am not well-versed in the demands of the T20 game. I don’t understand what one can write about a contest that is all about hitting fours and sixes. But encapsulating a day’s play in a Test match tests your knowledge of cricket. I avoided listening to the comments of the experts. I would look for angles and develop my report. Obviously, I would interact with the experts after sending my report, but always stick to my opinion. It allowed me to back myself and grow as a reporter.
Ravi: How do you perceive the evolution of cricket, transitioning from formats like 60 overs to 50 overs and T20 matches, particularly in light of changes such as the home team’s tendencies to prepare pitches favouring their strengths?
Vijay Lokapally: Cricket has progressed professionally. Which game on this planet has so many formats – Tests, ODIs, T20, The100, four-day, three-day….There is nothing wrong with home teams preparing pitches of their choice. It has been there for more than 100 years. You must look to adopt. That is the quality of a champion player/team. Flat pitches take away the charm from the game because even ordinary players look so good when the ball does not swing/bounce/turn.
Ravi: What are your thoughts on the notable shift towards international Test matches being hosted in India’s second-tier towns such as Ranchi, Visakhapatnam, and Dharamshala?
Vijay Lokapally: It is a welcome step to take Test cricket to second-tier towns because it increases the pool of fans who value the traditional aspect of the game. BCCI should consider introducing cricket tourism in identified small centres. I just love Indore for its magnificent hospitality and cricket culture. The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), with a vision perceived by former cricketer and administrator Sanjay Jagdale, cares for the paying public. The pitches at Indore, prepared by Samandar Singh Chouhan, are very sporting. The curators at Dharamshala (Sunil Chauhan), Delhi (Ankit Datta), and Lucknow (Sanjeev Agarwal) are as good as any in the world. They are silent promoters of the game.
Ravi: I hate talking to anyone based on their gender, but how tough was it, and is it, for women in Indian journalism? How well has modern India embraced female journalists, and how do you wish them to be cared for ahead of?
Neeru Bhatia (photo courtesy Telecom Asia Sports)
Vijay Lokapally: Women journalists have always been welcome in the Press Box. I don’t recall any woman journalist facing discrimination. I have fond memories of Roopa Rao, Kadambari Murali, Uma Venkatraman, and Nidhi Kapoor, pioneers in the field. Neeru Bhatia (left) is a hard-working woman sports journalist.
Ravi: Looking ahead, what are some of your aspirations or goals in cricket journalism? Are there any specific areas or aspects of the sport you’re eager to explore further? For aspiring cricket journalists, what advice would you offer based on your experiences and insights gained throughout your career in sports journalism?
Vijay Lokapally: Some of the sports journalists of today, young and old, are exceptionally good. They write beautifully and have depth in their work. I can name reporters like Ayan Acharya, Dhiman Sarkar, Shayan Acharya, Sanjjeev K Samyal, Clayton Murzello, R. Kaushik, Madhu Jawali, Sumit Ghosh, Gulu Ezekiel, and Sandeep Dwivedi, among my favourites. As advice to those just a year old in their profession, I can only say, “Don’t compromise with your credibility.”
I know Vijay as a person from a colleagues perspective. A very good interview. Always fascinating to read about Vijay and his knowledge of Cricket and other sports. Post his retirement, Vijay posted lot of stories about his colleagues from Sports field. Thought he would continue with more in future. Still waiting. Miss his columns in Sports pages of THE HINDU