R Ashwin Reacts After Fans Slam Limited Broadcast of Vijay Hazare Trophy
After fans questioned the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s limited broadcast, R Ashwin spoke up.
R Ashwin, a former Indian cricket player, has expressed his strong opinions about the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–2026 group-stage matches’ scant television coverage.
When the tournament started on Wednesday, big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were playing, but just a few games were televised, disappointing fans.
Since both Rohit and Virat had retired from Test cricket and Twenty20 Internationals, this competition offered spectators a unique and priceless opportunity to see these elite hitters perform live once more.
Reacting to the frustration, Ashwin said:
“Fans are asking, ‘What nonsense is this?’ Only Elon Musk can stream these matches on X. There’s no doubt everyone wants to follow Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They just played a brilliant series and will now face New Zealand. And the way they turned up—wow! One scored 150, the other 130, both at an excellent strike rate.
“The excitement of the match goes to another level when players like this come in and perform,” Ashwin wrote on his YouTube account.
Both Virat and Rohit smashed centuries for their respective teams.
Delhi defeated Andhra Pradesh thanks to Virat’s 131 off 101 balls and Rohit’s scorching 155 off just 94 balls.
Despite fans’ complaints about the lack of TV coverage, Ashwin explained that broadcasting decisions are made well in advance and cannot be changed at the last minute, even if well-known celebrities like Rohit and Virat choose to take part.
“Of course, everyone wants to watch Rohit and Virat in action. But we also need to understand how early the broadcasters were informed that they would be playing. When the international calendar is released, the domestic calendar is released at the same time.
After that, the BCCI and broadcasters choose which stadiums are convenient to cover and which games can be telecast ahead of time.
So yes, it was known that Rohit and Virat might play—but when exactly? Making changes at the last moment is very difficult,” Ashwin explained.
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