Charu Sharma Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Charu Sharma

• Charu Sharma is an Indian sportscaster, compère, and quizmaster.

• His father, N. C. Sharma, was once the Vice-Principal of Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan. His father had also served as a Principal of Birla Vidyamandir in Uttarakhand.

• Sharma’s family shifted to Rajasthan when he was just a few months old.

• While in school and college, he excelled at sports, especially rifle shooting and diving.

• He is a trained swimmer.

•  In an interview, Sharma talked about his early inclination towards sports. He said,
  

  But diving was my forte and I became a national junior champ by the age of 11 and retired by 17.”

• In 1978, Sharma got qualified for the Commonwealth Games. In an interview, while sharing the same, Charu said,
  

  I was the junior champion for seven years from the age of 11. I can safely say that later I was among the top three springboard divers in the country, the first two were from the army and were backed. I had qualified for the Commonwealth Games 1978 but had to give up as I had to go at my own expense. I had done well in the diving sport and quit at the ripe age of 19! There wasn’t much left to do there. I was also a first-division cricketer in Kolkata. The broadcasting career started and it took off once the country liberalised and more networks began to come in the 90’s.”

• He represented Indian in swimming at the 1982 Asian Games. Sharma was the springboard diver in the international meet.

• He is married to Anuja Sharma who is the sister of Anand Mahindra, the vice-chairman and managing director of Mahindra and Mahindra. Sharma met Anuja for the first time in Mumbai. Before her marriage, Anuja used to work with a magazine. However, she gave up her career after marrying Charu.

• After he completed his scholarship program at Davidson College, he was offered a job at the college, however, he declined the offer as he did not have much interest in academics.

• He then relocated to India and started working at a tea company based in Delhi.

• He worked in the tea company for a few years and then moved to Hyderabad, where he started working with a cigarette company.

• Soon he moved to Mumbai and began searching for jobs.

• Within a few days, he bagged an opportunity to work as a commentator for a local sports tournament.

• Initially, Charu found the job very hard, moving from place to place and living the life of a nomad. However, later he became a pro in it.

• In 1993, when ESPN wanted to sign him on as their lead anchor, Charu joined them on his own terms. During an interview, while talking about it Sharma said,
  

  I worked with them for 120 days a year and the rest of the time I was free to catch up with my family. I was anchoring a multitude of sports for them and got paid handsomely for my efforts.”

  His contract with ESPN ended in 2001. In the same interview, when asked what went wrong? Sharma said,

  I wish I had a sensible answer as to why they decided to end my contract. I didn’t think I had a chemistry problem with anybody. But there was a new gentleman who joined the organisation and things didn’t work.”

• He has worked as a sportscaster with many popular Indian broadcasters like Sony, MAX, ESPN, Star Sports, and Doordarshan.
  

  Charu Sharma during a sports tournament

• Sharma is famous for his TV presentations on cricket with the Indian actress and television presenter Mandira Bedi.
  

  Charu Sharma with Mandira Bedi during a cricket presentation television show

• In 2008, he became the CEO of the T20 cricket team ‘Royal Challengers Bangalore’ for the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was soon removed from the position due to the team’s poor performances. Sharma said that he was dismissed from the position by United Breweries Limited on behalf of the team’s owner Vijay Mallya whereas the team officials claimed that he himself resigned from his position.
  

  Charu Sharma as a sports commentator

• Charu Sharma and Anand Mahindra through their company Marshal Sports co-founded one of India’s top sporting tournaments Pro Kabaddi League in 2014. The league is played in eight cities in a caravan format, travelling to all the eight venues to play 60 matches. Sharma is also the director of Marshal Sports. Later, Star India acquired a 74% stake in Mashal Sports.
  

  Charu Sharma during a press conference of Vivi Pro Kabbadi League 2022

• Besides being a sportscaster, he is also a quizmaster. Charu has hosted many television shows and events. He mostly hosts award shows, corporate events, and seminars.

• In 2018, he was invited to Bahrain to promote cricket there. He hosted the finals of the Coca-Cola Bahrain Premier League Quiz.
  

  Charu Sharma hosting Bahrain Premier League Quiz 2018

• In 2022, Charu temporarily replaced Hugh Edmeades as an auctioneer at the 2022 Indian Premier League auction. The replacement was done after Hugh, the original auctioneer, collapsed due to postural hypotension. He conducted the auction after lunch on the first day and continued the auction till the last session on the second day. Thereafter, Edmeades continued the auction.
  

  Charu Sharma conducting the 2022 IPL auction

• His favourite pastimes include travelling and playing Golf.

• Sharma resides with his family in Bengaluru, Karnataka (as of 2022). In an interview, while sharing why he went on to settle in Bengaluru, Charu said,
  

  My wife was instrumental in us moving here. Her family runs a small plantation in Coorg and we decided to move to Bangalore, so she could be close enough to supervise things.”

• Charu has delivered many guest lectures on sports commentatory at various educational institutions. In November 2014, he delivered a lecture at MICA (formerly known as Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad). During his session, he talked about the insights which he had drawn from the vast repertoire of major international and national events that he has commentated on and presented, for various major television channels.
  

  Charu Sharma delivering a guest lecture at MICA in November 2022

• Sharma has given many guest lectures on sports at several popular educational institutions in India. In November 2014, he addressed the students of the MICA (formerly known as Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad).

• In an interview, Sharma said that it was not only the unfortunate fall of the auctioneer Hugh Edmeades that gave him the opportunity to host the 2022 IPL auction, but also an injury that he suffered in Kathmandu (Nepal) that brought about the opportunity. He said,
  

  I had fallen in Kathmandu where I had gone for an auction for a cricket league and damaged my shoulder. There was some rain and I fell at the place where I was staying. I have been at home now for weeks, getting my physiotherapy done; if it were not for that fall, I would have been in a golf course playing – it’s my passion these days and I spend hours at a golf course – and would have had no access to my phone. And Brijesh Patel couldn’t have reached me.”

  He further revealed that he was out for a lunch with his extended family when he received a call from Brijesh Patel, the IPL governing council chairman, asking him to come to the auction venue to conduct it. Patel said,

  Just get into a suit and come to the ITC Gardenia. Let’s do this.”