Cricket writer and commentator Bharat Sundaresan has officially joined the Aussie fold, taking his citizenship oath in Mount Barker, South Australia, three months after his wife, Isha Chatterjee.
The Indian-born journalist, known for his vibrant style and deep cricket insights, has long considered himself “true blue” — and now, it’s on paper.
“It’s been overwhelming in the best way possible. I’ve just been showered by love,” Sundaresan told ABC after the Thursday night ceremony.
“I’ve felt Australian from the day I moved here. It feels good that finally Australia will accept me as one of your own.”
Based in the Adelaide Hills, Sundaresan has been embraced by cricket fans across the country for his unique storytelling, unmistakable wardrobe, and ever-curious approach to the game.
Sundaresan’s journey from Mumbai to Mount Barker is as colourful as his commentary. He first visited Adelaide in 2014 as a reporter with The Indian Express and was instantly smitten.
“I’ve been to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, but Adelaide just feels like my city.”
In 2018, he moved to Australia to work with Cricbuzz, becoming the first Indian to report as a foreign correspondent on Australian cricket. But it was Isha, who moved ahead of him in 2017 to study special education, who paved the way. “I always tell people it was the easiest move ever,” Bharat told ABC.
“I had a wife who still wanted me to come and live with her. She had a house she was renting. She bought a car.”
Their love story began in college — Bharat was instantly taken, Isha initially taken aback. “He said I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘Oh, creep alert!’” But the connection stuck. Even during a two-year stretch when they saw each other for just two weeks, they remained committed.
Together now in the Adelaide Hills, the couple have created a vibrant life — one filled with cricket, creativity, and shared wardrobes. “Moving to Australia has just given him the freedom to be himself,” Isha told ABC.
“He’s always been a great journalist but here, he’s just found himself.”
Bharat echoed that sentiment:
“Australia feels so close to my heart. It allowed me to find something I never could in India — me. I owe a lot to this country.”
Reflecting on the milestone, he posted on Facebook:
“As a child growing up in Bombay, I was enamoured by all things Australia while watching Channel 9’s cricket coverage. Never did I imagine I’d ever get to visit this fantasy land, let alone call it home.”
Now, with citizenship complete, Bharat is looking forward to giving back:
“I don’t want to just be Australian for the sake of it. I think I can make a difference.”
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