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Why Is BCCI Not Broadcasting Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy Return Live In India?

Jatin

Virat Kohli is playing Ranji Trophy after 12 years [Source: @mufaddalvohra_1/x.com]Virat Kohli is playing Ranji Trophy after 12 years [Source: @mufaddalvohra_1/x.com]

Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 long years has fans buzzing with excitement. The Delhi crowd is gearing up to watch their local hero back in action at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Railways.

But while the stands will be packed, fans watching from home are in for some bad news as there will be no live telecast of the match.

Why No Live Broadcast For Kohli?

This means Virat Kohli’s long-awaited comeback in domestic cricket will happen off-camera, leaving fans dependent on score updates and social media clips to catch glimpses of the action. The BCCI has stuck to its original broadcasting schedule, and as of now, there are no last-minute changes in sight.

The Ranji Trophy broadcasting schedule is set months in advance, and each round of matches gets only three televised slots. This time, the BCCI has already allocated those slots to Karnataka vs Haryana, Bengal vs Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir vs Baroda.

While the board did telecast Rohit Sharma’s Ranji return, that decision was made early on, making arrangements easier. On the other hand, Kohli’s Ranji match was never part of the plan. Changing things at the last minute means logistical nightmares, which is why the BCCI scrambled to get the cameras rolling.

A DDCA official confirmed the situation, saying, "We don't know if BCCI will make any last minute arrangements since Kohli is playing but we haven't been intimated anything about broadcast of this game. Normally all big centres get one live game allotted (TV or streaming). We had a game against Tamil Nadu which was aired live. The roster for broadcast is set months in advance."

Another BCCI official added, "In the next round, the main match that will be televised as well as live-streamed is Karnataka versus Haryana at Chinnaswamy. Two more matches will be streamed. One of those is Bengal vs Punjab at Eden Gardens. There is a streaming of a third match but as of now it doesn't involve Delhi."

So, unless the board pulls a rabbit out of the hat, there’s no chance of fans getting to watch Kohli bat live.

Why Is Kohli Playing Ranji Now?

The BCCI has made it clear that top Indian players must play domestic cricket when not on national duty. With the Test series against England coming up, the board wants players to find form in red-ball cricket, and Kohli has followed the orders.

After skipping Delhi’s last game due to a neck sprain, Kohli is back to get some match time under his belt. It’s also reported that he worked on his back-foot game with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar after a below-par Test series in Australia (barring his ton in Perth).