The return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 has sparked widespread enthusiasm among fans. With both modern-day greats poised to represent Delhi and Mumbai, fans are eager to see them play live on television or online.
Despite the celebrity power involved, fans would be unable to watch Kohli or Rohit’s matches on television or online, prompting concerns over the BCCI’s broadcasting decisions.
Rohit Sharma is expected to play for Mumbai against Sikkim and Uttarakhand in Jaipur, while Virat will represent Delhi against Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat in Bengaluru. The match marks Rohit’s first Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance since 2018, while Kohli returns after nearly 15 years. Their participation follows the BCCI’s mandate to encourage centrally contracted players to play domestic cricket when not on national duty.
Will BCCI broadcast Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma’s Vijay Hazare Trophy matches?
The primary reason for the absence of broadcast is due to logistical restrictions. The Vijay Hazare Trophy has all 38 teams competing at the same time, with 19 matches taking place on a single day. The BCCI broadcasts a limited number of games during domestic events such as the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, as is customary.
Broadcasters have set up facilities for the upcoming season at only two venues: the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Moreover, broadcasters will televise only matches played on the main grounds at these venues. They will not cover games staged on ‘B’ grounds or at other locations.
Officials have scheduled Rohit’s Mumbai matches in Jaipur, while Kohli will play Delhi’s fixtures at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru; as a result, neither venue offers broadcast facilities. In addition, organisers have shifted all Vijay Hazare matches in Bengaluru from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the CoE after the Karnataka government raised security concerns. Authorities will stage matches at the CoE without spectators or broadcast infrastructure.
However, reports have pointed to last-minute changes in the past. Earlier this year, broadcasters added Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Railways to the schedule after confirming Kohli’s participation. Even so, no official signal suggests that the BCCI plans to alter its current broadcast arrangements for the group-stage matches involving Kohli and Rohit.
Matches to be telecast
Ahmedabad
Dec 24: Puducherry vs Tamil Nadu
Dec 26: Jharkhand vs Rajasthan
Dec 29: Kerala vs Madhya Pradesh
Dec 31: Jharkhand vs Tamil Nadu
Jan 03: Karnataka vs Tripura
Jan 06: Kerala vs Puducherry
Jan 08: Karnataka vs Madhya Pradesh
Rajkot
Dec 24: Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh
Dec 26: Assam vs Jammu & Kashmir
Dec 29: Bengal vs Chandigarh
Dec 31: Assam vs Uttar Pradesh
Jan 03: Baroda vs Vidarbha
Jan 06: Bengal vs Hyderabad
Jan 08: Baroda vs Chandigarh
