NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy brought added firepower to the domestic tournament, but fans were denied the chance to see the two Indian cricket superstars in action, as several matches - including those featuring them - were not televised.
The BCCI faced the brunt of fans' fury after matches featuring Kohli and Rohit were not televised. However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came to the board's defense, saying he understood the fans' disappointment but urged them to consider the logistical constraints faced by the BCCI.
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"Fans are asking what the hell? Only Elon Musk can telecast these matches on X," Ashwin said. "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," Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
Rohit produced a scintillating knock of 155 off just 94 balls for Mumbai against Sikkim, an innings studded with 18 boundaries and nine sixes. Not to be outdone, Kohli was equally commanding for Delhi, hammering 131 from 101 deliveries against Andhra Pradesh, laced with 14 fours and three maximums.
"Everyone wants to see Rohit and Virat in action, sure. But we have to see how early they got the information that Rohit and Virat will play," he said. "When the international calendar is given, the domestic calendar is given at the same time. Once it is set, the BCCI and broadcasters decide which venues are easy to cover and which matches can be televised."
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Ashwin pointed out that making last-minute broadcast changes is rarely practical. "So the conversation was Rohit and Virat will play, but when? Making that last-minute switch is difficult," he said.
While acknowledging the disappointment of fans, the former India off-spinner also highlighted the larger challenges surrounding India's domestic structure.
"I can understand the frustration. But there are limitations," Ashwin noted. "India has the maximum first-class teams. You cannot televise all matches. Other players also want to showcase their talent and are equally important to the ecosystem. I think we should cut some slack there."
