Many matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 are not being shown live on TV or streaming. Fans can’t even watch games with big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The BCCI has arranged broadcast facilities at only a few selected stadiums during the group stage.
Only two matches per round are covered live. Therefore, fans can only follow the live scores of Andhra vs Delhi and Sikkim vs Mumbai.
Star Sports is the TV broadcaster, and JioCinema streams matches for free, but only for selected fixtures. On days with multiple games, some venues may not have a telecast.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are making rare and high-profile returns to domestic cricket. They joined VHT 2025-26 on 24 December.
Kohli is playing for Delhi after almost 15 years while Rohit is back for Mumbai for the first time since 2018. Their return follows the BCCI rule that centrally-contracted players must play domestic cricket when they are not on national duty.
Kohli’s match against Andhra Pradesh is being played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, behind closed doors, with no live telecast. Rohit’s Mumbai vs Sikkim match in Jaipur is also not being streamed.
VHT 2025-26 will help both players gain match practice before future international events, including the 2027 ODI World Cup. They are expected to play at least two matches each.
Meanwhile, Indian cricket fans are fuming as they can’t watch their idols live. While thousands have turned up at the venues to watch them play, no live telecast leaves numerous others disappointed.
Social media reactions
“Dear BCCI, if Star Sports isn’t willing to telecast Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, then at least provide Wi-Fi to fans inside the stadium so they can livestream it for us. We really want to see our superstars live,” wrote one of them.
“BCCI is telecasting Pondicherry vs Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh, but there’s no live coverage for Virat and Rohit’s match and neither Maharashtra vs Punjab, which is one of the hottest matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” posted another with a frustrated meme.
Another indian cricket fan asked, “Is BCCI deliberately not showing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s VHT matches live to curb superstar culture? Then why are they streaming only selective Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, but not showing the ones featuring Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at all? SHAME ON BCCI.”
“Virat Kohli played last Vijay Hazare Trophy match in 2009 and after 16 years he is set to return, so dear BCCI kindly arrange the telecast billions of fans are eagerly waiting to see him back in domestic cricket,” came from another.
Another user wrote, “It’s indeed surprising that BCCI isn’t telecasting its all domestic matches, like Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, especially when they feature some international players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Rishabh Pant Sarfaraz Khan etc.”
VHT 2025-26 live-streaming
The knockout stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will, however, be fully broadcast live. All quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final will be telecast and live-streamed.
Fans can watch the games on Star Sports channels, including Star Sports Khel. Every match will also be available for free streaming on JioCinema through its app and website.
All elite knockout matches will take place in Bengaluru. The quarter-finals are on January 12 and 13 and the semi-finals on January 15 and 16. The VHT 2025-26 final will be on January 18, 2026.
