The Vijay Hazare Trophy resumes on Friday with its Round 2 fixtures after a brief pause and the spotlight once again falls on two familiar names. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, back in domestic colours for Mumbai and Delhi respectively, have reignited interest in India’s premier List A competition. Records have already fallen in the opening round with the both the Indian legends themselves scoring hundreds, crowds have swelled at venues, but a familiar question continues to dominate fan discourse: will their matches be available to watch live?
The tournament’s opening day produced fireworks, including three of the fastest centuries in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, adding further momentum to a competition that often struggles for attention beyond knockout stages. Yet, despite the heightened interest, the broadcast situation remains largely unchanged as the group stage rolls on.
Star power brings crowds, not cameras
Rohit Sharma’s return for Mumbai drew an attendance of close to 15,000 at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium during their opening-round clash against Sikkim, a rare sight for a domestic one-day match. Virat Kohli’s comeback for Delhi, his first Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance in 15 years, unfolded at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, a venue typically closed to the public. Even so, fans gathered outside in large numbers, with some climbing nearby trees just to catch a glimpse of the former India captain.
Neither match, however, was televised or live streamed. The absence sparked widespread frustration, with fans taking to social media to question how two of Indian cricket’s biggest draws could be playing out of public view. The BCCI later released a brief highlights package of Kohli’s innings, but the four-minute clip did little to quell disappointment.
Round 2 fixtures: tough tests await
As Round 2 gets underway, Kohli’s Delhi face a stiff challenge against Gujarat. The west zone side come into the match with momentum, having bowled out Services for 184 in their previous outing. Left-arm seamer Arzan Nagaswalla, in particular, looms as a key threat and will present a searching examination for Kohli early in his innings.
Mumbai, meanwhile, take on Uttarakhand. Rohit Sharma’s side opened their campaign with a dominant win over Sikkim, underlining the depth of a squad that blends India regulars with seasoned domestic performers. Uttarakhand, coming off a defeat to Himachal Pradesh, will be eager to respond, but face an uphill task against one of the tournament favourites.
Why Round 2 coverage remains limited
Despite the renewed buzz, fans hoping for a change in broadcast policy are set to be disappointed. The constraints that affected the opening round continue to shape coverage decisions. With all 38 teams competing in the group stage, 19 matches are played simultaneously, stretching broadcast resources thin.
At present, the BCCI has full-scale, permanent broadcast infrastructure only at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Matches at other venues depend on additional logistical arrangements, which are difficult to implement consistently during high-volume rounds of domestic tournaments.
What will be live this time?
For Round 2, the Star Sports Network will televise only two matches, with live streaming available on JioHotstar for those fixtures. The games selected for broadcast are Jharkhand vs Rajasthan and Assam vs Jammu and Kashmir.
Once again, neither Delhi nor Mumbai feature in the televised list, meaning Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s matches will not be available to watch live.
As things stand, fans will have to rely on score updates and highlights packages until the tournament reaches its knockout phase. All knockout matches are scheduled to be played at the Centre of Excellence and will be broadcast, offering some reassurance that the competition’s biggest moments- if not its most star-studded group games, will eventually make it to screens.