Why Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's domestic games weren't televised: Devajit Saikia explains

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia opened up on why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's matches in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy weren't televised. Kohli, back in domestic 50-over cricket after 15 years, hit 131 to become the fastest to 16,000 List A runs. Rohit scored 155 off 94 balls, raising the tournament's profile.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the non-telecast of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Vijay Hazare Trophy matches was a result of logistical and infrastructure limitations, despite the massive public interest around their return to domestic cricket.

Kohli’s matches for Delhi and Rohit’s games for Mumbai were not part of the limited broadcast schedule, as live coverage was arranged for only a handful of fixtures during the tournament’s opening round, which featured several matches being played simultaneously.

The absence of live visuals triggered frustration among fans, with social media flooded by complaints over missing rare domestic appearances by the two senior stars.

Saikia explained that earlier, only around 100 domestic matches were televised, but the participation of national players has significantly increased demand. He added that the BCCI is now working with broadcast partners to expand domestic coverage in the coming seasons.

“That is the biggest change we are seeing now, with all national players participating in domestic cricket. Earlier, I never used to receive calls asking why a particular domestic match was not being shown or which matches would be televised live. Those questions never came earlier, but now we are getting them regularly,” Saikia told Sportstar in an interview.

“Our earlier system was to televise around 100 domestic matches, and that is the model we followed. However, after the policy change and with top players featuring in domestic cricket, there has been a significant rise in interest—not just from the media, but also from the general public. Cricket lovers want to watch domestic matches.