Who is Wimbledon presenter and cricket icon Isa Guha?

ISA GUHA announced herself to the cricket world in 2002 – and now she will grace our screens for the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage this year.

The fast-medium bowler will perform at the legendary tournament every morning.

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Which has led tennis fans to believe she could be Sue Barker’s long-term replacement after the legendary Wimbledon host confirmed this will be her grand final.

But who exactly is Isa Guha and why is she a cricket icon?

Who is Isa Guha?

Guha was born on May 21, 1985 and grew up in High Wycombe, England but her parents used to live in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Isa attended Wycombe High School before earning a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an MPhil in Neuroscience from the University of College London.

However, the talented presenter enjoyed playing cricket as a hobby with her older brother and at the age of eight, Guha was picked for the Development England team aged 13.

And four years later, Guha’s professional cricket career really took off.

What all happened before Guha married her longtime boyfriend and musician Richard Thomas of the band Brother and Bones in September 2018.

Why is Isa Guha a cricket icon?

Guha became the FIRST Woman of South Asian origin representing England in every sport aged just 17.

The right-arm bowler took part in a Test match against India during her 2002 tour and played in the 2002 Women’s Tri-Series.

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In the same year, Isa also received the BBC Asian Network Sports Personality of the Year award.

But Guha wasn’t done with that – three years later she helped England regain the Ashes on home soil for the first time in 42 years and featured in the World Cup later that season.

And through December 31, 2008, the cricket legend was voted the world’s top female bowler in the ICC Women’s Day One international rankings.

However, 2009 was arguably the highlight of Guha’s career as she was part of the England team that dominated cricket as they won the Ashes, World Cup and T20 World Cup.

After 113 caps, Guha decided to retire from the sport in 2012, as England’s second-highest wicket-taker in the one-day English women’s all-time international list and sixth-highest in the world.

What is Isa Guha doing now?

Guha, 37, put aside her cricket career and used all her knowledge to get into sports broadcasting.

The British icon made her presenting debut during ITV4’s coverage of the Indian Premier League in 2011, which led to further opportunities on Sky Sports, BBC and various broadcasters in the West Indies and the United States.

However, in 2016 Guha became a permanent member of the Triple M radio test cricket commentary team in Australia and two years later a commentator for Sky Sports and Fox Cricket.

But in 2020, Isa took over the lead presenter and commentator role for the BBC’s cricket coverage, which brought live cricket back for the first time in 21 years.

Guha is now a popular figure in the world of tennis and can be seen on the BBC’s Wimbledon morning coverage for the next two weeks.