Mumbai, May 27, 2022: Sony Sports Network, one of India’s leading sports broadcast television channels has signed Saarthak Lal, to host the daily live games at the much-awaited annual international tennis event – Roland Garros 2022.
In a first of its kind, this year’s French Open games live shows broadcasted by Sony Sports Network will exclusively feature a single host – Saarthak, unlike a panel to discuss and debate, as seen during other sporting events. Saarthak has recently hosted all the episodes of “12th Khiladi’s” IPL 2022, along with an exclusive interview with the renowned Rashid Khan aka ‘Cricketer of the Decade’, for 12th Khiladi.
As the solo host for the French Open games this year, Saarthak will play an imperative role in engaging with the Sony Sports Network’s considerable audience by sharing his views and opinions throughout each game, backed by his years of experience and knowledge of the sport as a player himself.
He was also seen playing a cameo role in the noted Bollywood film ‘Gully Boy’ alongside Mr. Ranveer Singh.
Saarthak shares his experience, “Gully Boy was a special experience as I got to share screen space with Ranveer Singh. He is a brilliant actor and an even better human being. If some good acting opportunities come by, I would be more than happy to take them up”
During his journey in the world of Media, Saarthak has added several feathers to his cap, which he now proudly sports. Starting off as a summer intern in 2014 for Times Television Network, he worked his way up within a short period of time to become one of the youngest commentators who led the commentary box during LIVE Prime Time games for the Sony Sports Network. His love for sports speaks through his work, “Sports, in particular Tennis, has always been my first love. Would be happy to Host sports shows for life.
A LIVE sports show is a whole different level and hosting it every day tests you like nothing else. There are no retakes. You have to make your presence felt in the moment. Primarily, it’s about how well you know the sport, the improvisations and the chemistry you share with your experts / guests”
This was fuelled by his passion for sports and exceptional public speaking skills, which brought forward his confidence and knowledge. In 2019, Saarthak covered one of the most anticipated sports events – the ICC Cricket World Cup in England. During this time, he also anchored ‘Global Sports Fan Awards 2019’ in Manchester, right before the gigantic India-Pakistan World Cup game at Old Trafford. Saarthak has also hosted the ‘NBA Weekly’ for Sony Sports Network in 2019-20, along with anchoring several other sports for the channel including Tennis, Cricket, Hockey, Kabbadi, Wrestling, Volleyball, Running, Swimming, Cycling and Basketball.
Saarthak occasionally reports for BBC Radio Manchester and Lancashire.
