Indian great Ravichandran Ashwin shared a strong opinion on the limited broadcast coverage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025–26 group-stage matches. The domestic competition got underway on Wednesday, December 24, with Team India stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli featuring for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.
Despite the presence of marquee players, several matches, including theirs, were not televised by the BCCI. Ashwin echoed the disappointment of fans who were eager to watch the star batters in action, especially since they are currently active in just one international format.
“Fans are asking what the hell? Only Elon Musk can telecast these matches on X. Everyone wants to follow Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no doubt. They had a great series and will be facing New Zealand next. They both have turned up, and turned up how! One scores 150 and the other 130, both with incredible strike rates. When players like these come and play, the matches become more exciting,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Indian Legend Backs BCCI Over Non-Telecast Of VHT 2025–26 Matches
Even as fans expressed disappointment over the BCCI not broadcasting Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 matches featuring Team India stars such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Ashwin came out in support of the board. He pointed out that there was no clarity on when Rohit and Virat would turn out, making it challenging to arrange telecasts at short notice.
Ravichandran Ashwin further noted that broadcast selections are finalised well in advance when the domestic schedule is released.
“Everyone wants to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but it depends on when the broadcasters were informed about their availability. The domestic and international calendars are released together, and telecast decisions are made in advance based on logistics. With no clarity on when Rohit and Virat would play, making a last-minute broadcast change becomes difficult,” he said.
“I understand the fans’ frustration, but there are practical limitations. It’s not possible to televise every match in a country with so many domestic teams. Other players also deserve a platform to showcase their talent, so some understanding is needed,” he added.
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