'What a shame' BCCI criticised after Virat, Rohit's centuries: Fans slam Indian cricket board for not telec… – Bhaskar English

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Fans were left furious at the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) after they were not able to watch either a live telecast or streaming of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on 24 December. The Team India stalwarts made their return to domestic cricket in emphatic fashion, scoring hundreds to lead their respective teams, Mumbai and Delhi, to victory.
However, the match was neither telecast nor streamed, which irked fans. Taking to social media, the angry fans then made their feelings towards the BCCI very clear. Several fans also pointed out the fact that the BCCI, being the richest cricket board, could not provide a telecast of the matches that the two modern-day greats played. Rohit struck 155 in Mumbai’s win over Sikkim at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur. Virat, on the other hand, played behind closed doors at BCCI’s CoE (Centre of Excellence) in Bengaluru, where he scored a sparkling 131 in Delhi’s win over Andhra Pradesh.
Also read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli end 2025 as 1-2 in ODIs:Tilak Varma moves to 3rd spot in T20I batters’ rankings, Jasprit Bumrah gains 10 spots
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma shine on return to domestic cricket
Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma marked their return to domestic cricket in style. Powered by Rohit’s stellar 155, Mumbai chased down a 239-run target by Sikkim in Jaipur. Virat, on the other hand, helped Delhi chase down a steep 299-run target against Andhra Pradesh. Rishabh Pant led Delhi in this match. Kohli’s 131-run knock featured 14 fours and 3 sixes and it came off 101 balls. The star right-hander last played a match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Services in February 2010.
Rohit, on the other hand, played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after seven years. The Hitman’s 155 came from just 94 balls and it included 18 fours and nine sixes. These knocks came at a crucial time for both Virat and Rohit, with the two expected to feature for Team India in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which starts on 11 January.
Virat Kohli became the fastest batter to score 16,000 List-A runs
Kohli also scripted another record during his 131-run knock. Needing just one run to get to 16,000 List-A runs, Kohli became the fastest to get to the mark. The right-hander achieved this feat in 330 innings, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who had taken 391 innings to attain the landmark.
Delhi defeat Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh batted first in their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign opener against Delhi at the BCCI CoE and scored 298/8 in 50 overs. Ricky Bhui smashed 122 off 105 deliveries, with 11 fours and seven sixes. Captain Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 23 runs. In response, Delhi went past the finish line in 37.4 overs. While Virat stole the show with his 131, Priyansh Arya (74 off 44) and Nitish Rana (77 off 55) were also amongst the runs. Delhi’s next match is against Gujarat on 26 December at the same venue.
Also read: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma mark Vijay Hazare return with hundreds:Vaibhav Suryavanshi (190), Ishan Kishan’s 32-ball ton highlight record-breaking day
Mumbai outclass Sikkim
Sikkim won the toss and decided to bat in their Group C match against Mumbai. They 236/7 in 50 overs, setting a 237-run target with wicketkeeper-batter Ashish Thapa hitting 79 (87). In response, Mumbai achieved this target in just 30.3 overs with eight wickets in hand. Apart from Rohit’s 155, opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 38 runs. He and Rohit had a partnership of 141 runs. Musheer Khan remained unbeaten on 27 runs and his brother Sarfaraz Khan on 8*.
BCCI directed senior players to play domestic cricket
The BCCI had reportedly directed Rohit, Virat and other senior players to play domestic cricket. Rohit and Kohli played one match each in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 before retiring from Tests. With these centuries, both the cricketers have answered critics questioning if they will play in the 2027 World Cup, to be held in South Africa.
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