Know why Duleep Trophy 2025 matches were not telecasted, BCCI source reveals

India's domestic cricket season began on Thursday with the long-standing Duleep Trophy at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The red-ball competition, which has been a major identifying feature of zonal teams over many years, included the best players from the various zones in the country. But fans who anticipated the kick-off of the domestic cricket season were left in limbo when they discovered that there had been no live streaming or telecast of the games.

The lack of live coverage disappointed many fans, particularly Indian fans who have not seen any cricket since the India-England Test Series. Fans expressed their disappointment on social media, claiming that there is no reason for some plucky outsider league to be televised and not domestic events that showcase talent from 12 teams.

According to the Times of India, the BCCI's broadcasting contract allows for a limited number of Indian cricket telecast days in a year. So, the only telecast and live-streamed game is the Duleep Trophy final (September 11–15). While this explains why early rounds would not have live coverage, it has not placated the zealous, apparently domestic-cricket-deprived fans who maintained that domestic cricket needs more attention.

No Live Streaming for Duleep Trophy Sparks Fan Frustration

"Only the Duleep Trophy final will be shown live on television and streamed. But as far as fan engagement is concerned, there needs to be a lot more," a source close to the process told TOI. 

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It's notable that most cricket boards around the world, including some without large amounts of resources, have their own YouTube channels with domestic matches streamed live. So why doesn't BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, take these steps to enable fans to access domestic cricket? 

Day 1 of the 2025 edition featured East Zone vs North Zone and North East Zone against Central Zone, with characters like Mohammed Shami, Rajat Patidar, and Mukesh Kumar on show. Live streaming was anticipated on JioHotstar as the previous edition did, but the BCCI was clear this week that only live scores would be found on the BCCI website and official mobile app. 

With demand for better coverage on the raised, the lack of live streaming again brings into question the visibility of domestic cricket in India, and fans can only hope that the BCCI is taking note to improve accessibility for domestic cricket in the coming editions.