Star Power Drives Change: Kohli and Rohit’s Domestic Appearances Force BCCI to Revamp Broadcast Policy
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to significantly increase the number of televised domestic matches following an unprecedented surge in fan demand, directly attributed to the participation of IPL icons like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. A recent BCCI mandate requiring centrally contracted players to feature in domestic tournaments when available has fundamentally changed the visibility of competitions like the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT).
The presence of Royal Challengers Bangalore legend Kohli playing for Delhi and Mumbai Indians stalwart Rohit Sharma playing for Mumbai drew packed stadiums and flooded the BCCI with queries regarding live coverage. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the current contract, which limits telecasting to 100 domestic matches per season, is insufficient to meet this demand.
This policy change not only addresses fan frustration but also serves a crucial developmental purpose. Saikia noted that having veterans share the dressing room with aspiring cricketers provides invaluable mentorship, strengthening the grassroots level of Indian cricket by leveraging the star power generated by the IPL.
This analysis was generated by Third Umpire using official IPL statistics and live match data.
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“That’s the biggest change that we have seen, that international cricketers are regularly playing domestic cricket. Earlier, I never got calls saying, ‘Why is this match not shown live?’... we are definitely going to increase the number [of televised matches].”
Devajit Saikia, BCCI Secretary
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- Virat Kohli
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- RCB
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IPL Career Most Innings Played | Player Rankings
Batting specialists with most batting innings in IPL Career (batters/all-rounders/wicketkeepers only)
| Select | Rank | Player | Team | innings-played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 259 innings |
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“That’s the biggest change that we have seen, that international cricketers are regularly playing domestic cricket. Earlier, I never got calls saying, ‘Why is this match not shown live?’... we are definitely going to increase the number [of televised matches].”
Devajit Saikia, BCCI Secretary
- Player
- Virat Kohli
- Specialization
- Batter
- Team
- RCB
- Analyze
- Analyze Performance
- Team
- Team Performance