Ex-Pakistan cricket captain and all-time great fast bowler Wasim Akram has recently lashed out at the media attention given to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. While participating in a discussion, when an anchor made a mention of Kohli, Akram snapped back and said,"If you want to talk about Kohli, watch Star Sports. They make it seem like there are no other players."

The Issue of Media Bias
Akram's comment brings forth a common perception among cricket lovers and pundits of biased reporting on sports channels. Most feel that Indian channels in particular, but also other channels, provide disproportionate coverage to Kohli at the expense of other skilled players. Kohli may be a great batsman who has had a phenomenal career, but cricket is a team game, and every player should receive his due.

Anchor: Let's talk about Kohli.

Wasim Akram: If you want to talk about Kohli, watch Star Sports. They make it seem like there are no other players.

This is very embarrassing bc 😭🤣pic.twitter.com/UMKb6LI9xT

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) February 21, 2025

 
ALSO READ:How to Buy Tickets for IND vs PAK Champions Trophy 2025 Match

Why Does This Happen?
The bias is mostly commercial. Kohli is a global cricket legend with an enormous fan following. His matches have millions of spectators, increasing TV ratings and sponsorship. The broadcasters aim at him because he creates publicity, leading to higher profits. But this approach sometimes neglects other skilled cricketers who also perform exceptionally well.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will start on February 19, 2025. Fans of cricket all over the globe are looking forward to seeing their favorite teams face each other in this elite competition. The event will host major cricketing nations, which will ensure exciting games and heated rivalries. Live coverage from several platforms will mean that viewers get to enjoy good-quality broadcasts in different languages, making the experience smooth and effortless.

CHAMPIONS TROPHY GROUPS

Group A: Pakistan (hosts), India, New Zealand, Bangladesh

Group B: Australia, England, South Africa, Afghanistan

Notable Things

• Tournament Start Date: February 19, 2025
• India's First Match: February 20, 2025 (India vs Bangladesh)
• India vs Pakistan Clash: February 23, 2025

First match: Pakitan vs New Zeland

LIVE STREAMING DETAILS

ALSO READ:PAK vs NZ Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win? | Match 01, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Preview & Analysis

India Champions Trophy Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy

•  Coach: Gautam Gambhir
• Best performance: Champions (2002, 2013)

India vs England 2nd ODI Live Streaming Details

India and England are scheduled to clash in the second One Day International (ODI) on February 9, 2025. The game will be held at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The cricketing world is excited about this game because both teams are strong and competitive.indvseng 2nd odi.
India vs England 2nd ODI Live Streaming Details

Match Details:

• Match: India vs England, 2nd ODI
• Date: February 9, 2025
• Day: Sunday
• Venue: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
• Time: 1:30 PM IST
• Toss Time: 1:00 PM IST

Third ODI

• Date: 12th February, 2025
• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Time: 1:30 PM IST

Toss own by :England opt to bat

Predicted Playing xi :India's Predicted Playing XI for 2nd ODI Against England.

Live Streaming:

IN INDIA:

TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network

• English Commentary:

• Star Sports 2
• Star Sports 2 HD
• Star Sports 3

• Hindi Commentary:

• Sports 18 1
• Sports 18 1 HD
• Colors Cineplex
• Colors Cineplex HD

• Online Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar (app and website)

In the United States and Canada

• TV Broadcast: Willow TV
• Online Streaming: Willow TV App

In the United Kingdom

• TV Broadcast: Sky Sports Cricket
• Online Streaming: Sky Go App

In Australia

• TV Broadcast: Fox Sports
• Online Streaming: Kayo Sports

Trending Highlights of the Match

Virat Kohli's Return: He's missed the first ODI and now the crowd wants him to come back to form.
Rohit Sharma's Form: The Indian captain comes into this match after some low scores and is looking to reclaim his form.
England's Need to Win: England is still at 0-1; win this and stay in the series.
Pitch Conditions at Barabati Stadium: The ground will be spin-friendly, so every strategy by a spin team will count.
Key battles: would be between Rohit Sharma and Jofra Archer, Virat Kohli and Mark Wood

The India-England One Day International (ODI) series is scheduled to start on 6 February 2025. For all the fans in India, follow these instructions and catch the match live: This is the last leg of India's preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy and, with the return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul, the excitement for the fans. England will look to redeem themselves after a T20I series defeat

ALSO READ:Probable Finalists of the Champions Trophy 2025

Schedule of Matches:

First ODI

• Date: 6th February, 2025
• Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
• Time: 1:30 PM IST

Second ODI

• Date: 9th February, 2025
• Venue: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
• Time: 1:30 PM IST

Third ODI

• Date: 12th February, 2025
• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Time: 1:30 PM IST

Live Telecast & Streaming Details

Television Broadcast Channels

• English Commentary:

1. Star Sports 2
2. Star Sports 2 HD
3. Star Sports 3

• Hindi Commentary:

1. Sports 18 1
2. Sports 18 1 HD
3. Colors Cineplex
4. Colors Cineplex HD

Online Live Streaming

• Disney+ Hotstar (Official streaming platform)

STAR SPORTS POSTER FOR INDIA vs ENGLAND TELECAST ON HINDI & ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

- Great News for Cricket fans. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ehvxOvxCxq

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) February 6, 2025

MS Dhoni Gone to ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Promo: Fans Enjoy Special For Self

Even after retirement, cricket loving fans will enjoy the comeback of MS Dhoni as a legend. It went viral in social media, as Indian Captain MS Dhoni recently had appeared on promotional ad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Unique Dhoni DRS – The Dhoni Refrigeration System

Creative ad featuring Dhoni and past-heavy winters, he playfully telling how cold is this. And then moves on to how the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be a must win battle, where every single game matters.For a light-hearted touch Dhoni also introduces the DRS—best known here as we know it in cricket, but in cricket's melting pot known as the ‘Dhoni Refrigeration System,’ is a way to cool off whilst watching proceedings

Fans have certainly loved it, the same marketing ploy has served pretty well in re-establishing Dhoni as a go-to performer both on and off stage.

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2025 : OVERVIEW

Beginning of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Feb 19, 2025 per timetable This edition of the tournament will be held in Pakistan, India will play in United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to political considerations.

Teams & Groups

This tournament has 8 teams, split into 2 groups.

Group A: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh

Group B: Australia, England, South Africa, Afghanistan

The first match will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand at National Stadium Karachi. 

ALSO READ: AB de Villiers' Comeback in 2025: A New Chapter for Cricket’s Icon?

MS DHONI IN CHAMPIONS TROPHY PROMO.🐐

- The Brand of Thala.....!!!! pic.twitter.com/YhzRQ16U9t

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 29, 2025

Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is arguably the in-demand name in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. He clarified that his departure from Delhi Capitals was not due to any disagreement with the franchise regarding his retention fee. Pant responded after Sunil Gavaskar suggested that he might have left the franchise due to a dispute over his retention fee. However, Pant confirmed this wasn't true.

Star Sports shared a video ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Sunil Gavaskar said that sometimes players may leave their franchises to understand their true value in auction. As Pant's case isn't the same, Gavaskar expects that the wicketkeeper batter will be targeted by Delhi once again in the Auction.

See Also:- Daniel Vettori to attend IPL Auction amid First BGT Test

Sunil Gavaskar talks about Pant returning to Delhi Capitals

"Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back in the squad. Sometimes when a player is to be retained, there is talk between the player and franchise about the fees that is expected. As you can see, some of the players who have been retained by the franchise, they've gone for more than what the No. 1 retention fee would've been. Maybe there was some disagreement over there (fees). "My feeling is Delhi would definitely want Pant back because they need a captain as well. If Rishabh Pant is not in their squad then they have to look for a new captain,".

The curious case of Rishabh Pant & Delhi! 🧐

🗣 Hear it from #SunilGavaskar as he talks about the possibility of @RishabhPant17 returning to the Delhi Capitals!

📺 Watch #IPLAuction 👉 NOV 24th & 25th, 2:30 PM onwards on Star Sports Network & JioCinema! pic.twitter.com/ugrlilKj96

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 19, 2024

Reacting to the video, Pant said his departure from the franchise wasn't about money.

"My retention wasn't about the money for sure that I can say," Rishabh Pant said in his reply to the post on X, formerly Twitter.

Rishabh Pant is expected to have all 10 franchised bidding for him. But as per the purse, he will likely join Punjab Kings, Lucknow Supergiants, or Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Even his return to DC via RTM can be ruled out.

The IPL has seen its fair share of controversies, but the recent privacy breach allegation by India captain and Mumbai Indians batter Rohit Sharma has sparked significant debate. Rohit accused IPL broadcaster Star Sports of violating his privacy, leading to a heated exchange of statements between the cricketer and the broadcaster.

The Incident: What Happened?

On May 11, a video clip shared by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) went viral on social media. The clip featured Rohit Sharma and KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar engaged in what appeared to be a private conversation. In the video, Rohit requests the cameraperson to stop recording his audio, saying, “Bhai audio band karo haan? Ek audio ne mera waat laga diya (Please switch off the audio; one audio recording has ruined me).”

See Also: Everything you need to know about ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: format, rules & past winners

The Initial Leak

This incident followed an earlier audio leak during a match in Kolkata, where a personal conversation between Rohit and Abhishek Nayar went to social media. The clip, initially shared by KKR’s social media handle, was quickly deleted after realizing the personal nature of the conversation.

Rohit Sharma’s Reaction

On Sunday, Rohit Sharma took to social media to express his frustration. He accused Star Sports of being intrusive and breaching his privacy. Rohit’s post read: “The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras now record every step and conversation we have in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days. Despite asking Star Sports not to record my conversation, it was and was played on air, which is a breach of privacy. The need to get exclusive content focused only on views and engagement will one day break the trust between the fans, cricketers, and cricket.”

Star Sports’ Response

In response to Rohit Sharma’s allegations, Star Sports clarified their position. The broadcaster emphasized that the audio from the controversial clip was neither recorded nor broadcast. They explained that the clip, taken during a training session on May 16 at Wankhede Stadium, showed Rohit requesting the audio to be turned off, which was featured in their live coverage but had no audio content.

Commitment to Professional Conduct

Star Sports defended their actions, stating: “A clip involving a senior Indian player and his post on social media has gained prominence since yesterday. The clip, taken during a training session on May 16 at Wankhede stadium, for which Star Sports had authorized access, momentarily showed the senior player in conversation with his friends on the sidelines. No audio from this conversation was either recorded or broadcast. The clip, which only showed the senior player requesting that the audio of his conversation not be recorded, got featured in Star Sports’ live coverage of pre-match preparations and lacked editorial relevance beyond this. Star Sports has always adhered to the highest standards of professional conduct while broadcasting cricket worldwide. Respect for players’ privacy while bringing fans moments of intense action and preparations sits at the core of this ethos, which the broadcaster remains committed to.”

This incident brings to the forefront the delicate balance between player privacy and broadcast rights. While broadcasters strive to provide fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, it is crucial to respect players’ personal boundaries.

The official broadcasters of the Indian Premier League (IPL) — Star Sports — launched a program to celebrate the previous 15 seasons of the lucrative tournament on Monday. Ahead of the first season of the biggest T20 franchise league, its maiden auction was held on February 20 in 2008. The historic day saw stalwarts like MS Dhoni, and Shane Warne amongst many others go under the hammer.

 The special ‘Incredible Premier League’ awards were organized by Star Sports and ESPN Cricinfo. It saw premier players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, and Jasprit Bumrah emerge victorious. However, to the surprise of one and many, four-time IPL winner MS Dhoni was snubbed from the list.

Star Sports IPL Incredible Awards: Full List

Incredible Captain: Rohit Sharma

Nominees for Best Captain in the IPL

• Gautam Gambhir
• MS Dhoni
• Rohit Sharma
• Shane Warne

Incredible batter: Ab de Villiers

Nominees for Incredible Batter in the IPL

• AB de Villiers
• Chris Gayle
• David Warner
• Suresh Raina

Incredible bowler: Jasprit Bumrah

Nominees for Best Bowler in the IPL:

• Rashid Khan
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Sunil Narine
• Yuzvendra Chahal

Incredible overall impact: Andre Russell

Incredible batting performance in a season: Virat Kohli

Nominees for Best Batting in an IPL season

• Chris Gayle – 2011
• Virat Kohli – 2016
• David Warner – 2016
• Jos Buttler – 2022