Cricket kamaal: At Tour Diary's shoot in Pondicherry, with Indian speedster S Sreesanth and South African batsman Neil McKenzie

It's not only playing cricket that gets you all the eyeballs; being associated with it, too, can make you the cynosure of all eyes. After all, it was the wonders of the willow that metamorphosed a deglam Mandira Bedi to a style diva.

Roshni 'Pia' Chopra, too, began her stint with the game to move on to soapdom. The latest beauty to join the bandwagon is erstwhile model-VJ Archana Vijaya, who is rubbing shoulders with cricket biggies now.
 
The lass who has earlier walked the ramp in Milan, Rome and Paris, is now hosting Tour Diary (TD) and Cricket Tadka Marke (CTM) on Neo Cricket. In a freewheeling chat, the 2004 Get Gorgeous winner talks about her
latest avatar.

Being a sports anchor is a far cry from being a model or a VJ. 
Yes it is, but then I have always been a sports lover. I am a basketball, cricket and tennis player and these matches kept me glued to TV. So when the offer of hosting the show came, I instantly said a 'yes'.
 
Tell us about Tour Diary.
The show is basically a journal of my experiences while travelling across the world with the various cricket teams. Till now, I have been to West Indies, South Africa and Australia. It's exciting to interact with international cricketers as I get to know a lot about different individuals and cultures.

Any interesting experiences you want to share?
Whether it is dancing with Sreesanth, cooking baigan ka bharta with Matthew Hayden or catching the dressing room action  the show is a platter of interesting snippets. Viewers will be hooked on to the show because the interviews are extremely candid and profile the funny side of the players, which otherwise would have remained a mystery for fans.

So how different is Cricket Tadka Marke?
Though it's on the same lines as TD, but like the name, CTM combines a lot of gossip and trivia. It's cricket spiced up.

Being a glam face in a game has its downsides. Mandira Bedi, too, had received a lot of flak in her initial days. Are you ready for it?
Cricket is no more just about matches. It's beyond the field, too. If that wouldn't have been the case, why was IPL such a hit? After all, cheerleaders equally share the credit and attributed to the mass hysteria. My shows in no way undermine the purity of the game, rather they add a dash of fun, which is immensely enjoyed by cricket aficionados like you and me.

What else is keeping you busy?
Apart from these shows, I am also hosting an entertainment show on AXN called E buzz.

Is Bollywood the next stop?
I am too tied up for films right now. But that doesn't mean I am not game for it. Never say never!