CarmenCarey59 at 10:45, 13 December 2025

2025-12-13T10:45:40Z

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{{short description|Indian cricket commentator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ardeshir Furdorji Sohrabji Talyarkhan
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1897
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|07|13|1897|df=yes}}
| education =
| occupation = Cricket Commentator, Columnist
| spouse =
| children = Geetanjali Talyarkhan
| relatives = [[Vinod Khanna]] {{small|(son-in-law)}}
| imagesize =
| networth =
}}

'''Ardeshir Furdorji Sohrabji "Bobby" Talyarkhan''' (1897–13 July 1990) was an Indian [[cricket]] commentator.

Talyarkhan was Indian cricket's first radio commentator.<ref>{{cite news|title='Bobby' Talyarkhan: The Pioneer Of Indian Cricket Commentary |url=https://madrascourier.com/biography/bobby-talyarkhan-the-pioneer-of-indian-cricket-commentary/ |author=Karthik Venkatesh |publisher=Madras Courier|date=17 June 2019|access-date=13 December 2025}}</ref> His radio commentaries played an important role in spreading of the game and making the name of the players throughout the country. [[Bombay Pentangular]] owed some of its popularity to his voice. He first commentated on a match between [[Parsees cricket team|Parsees]] and [[Muslims cricket team|Muslims]] played at the [[Bombay Gymkhana]] in November 1934.<ref>{{cite news |title=A.F.S.T. No Morena |newspaper=The Indian Express |agency=UNI |date=14 July 1990 |page=18}}</ref>

Talyarkhan had "a fine command of English, a polished public speaking style and an ability to create dramatic interest in the game".{{ref|PPC}} He disliked sharing the microphone and did the commentaries all alone throughout the day. [[Ramachandra Guha]] felt that he "brought to cricket broadcasting a rich, fruity voice and a fund of anecdotes. He was ambitious and opinionated, with a voice that was 'beer-soaked, cigarette-stained'. His self control was superhuman, for he would speak without interruptions, except for lunch and tea."{{ref|CFF}}

His career with the [[All India Radio]] ended with the series against [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] in 1948–49. AIR insisted on having a team of three commentators, with which Talyarkhan disagreed. The only time he shared the mike was when [[Indian cricket team|India]] made its first tour of [[Pakistan]] in 1954–55. He made a brief reappearance in 1972-73 when he presented the close of play summaries.

Ardeshir's daughter Geetanjali Talyarkhan married actor [[Vinod Khanna]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Iyer |first=Meena |date=28 April 2017 |title=Vinod Khanna: The superstar who gave it all up... |url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/vinod-khanna-the-superstar-who-gave-it-all-up-/articleshow/58406467.cms |access-date=30 July 2018 |website=[[Mumbai Mirror]]}}</ref> and he was the maternal grandfather of actors [[Rahul Khanna]] and [[Akshaye Khanna]]. Talyarkhan continued writing his daily columns till his death on 13 July 1990.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Obituary in ''ACSSI Almanack'', 1989–90
* {{note|PPC}} Richard Cashman, ''Patrons, Players and the Crowd : The Phenomenon of Indian Cricket''
* {{note|CFF}} [[Ramachandra Guha]], ''A Corner of a Foreign Field''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Talyarkhan, Bobby}}
[[Category:Indian cricket commentators]]
[[Category:Parsi people from Mumbai]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Mumbai]]

A. F. S. Talyarkhan - Revision history

CarmenCarey59 at 10:45, 13 December 2025