Amid the ongoing online backlash over not streaming matches involving prominent cricket players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a new issue has further embarrassed JioHotstar. The opening day of the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy became yet another example of the technical problems that have been plaguing the streaming platform for some time during live cricket broadcasts.
During the high-stakes clash between Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Hyderabad (HYD), the platform suffered a glaring technical blunder, displaying a wildly incorrect run rate for a significant portion of the match. While glitches are common in live tech, the timing and context of this error have left fans fuming and the platform’s reputation bruised.
For a long stretch of the UP vs. HYD innings, the live broadcast featured a run rate that defied both logic and the actual scorecard. Fans watching the match found themselves staring at numbers that didn’t add up.
In a format like List A cricket, where the run rate (RR) is one of the most important elements of the game, providing false data isn’t just a minor bug. It’s a disruption of the viewer’s experience.
Social media was quickly flooded with screenshots of the erroneous graphics, with users mocking the platform for its inability to handle a domestic fixture despite being the primary destination for Indian cricket.
How is the run rate 9? @JioHotstar @BCCI #VijayHazareTrophy pic.twitter.com/GhkjSAZDD2
— Shikhar Jiwrajka (@shikharjiwrajka) December 24, 2025
@JioHotstar @hotstar_helps can you please check the run rate, you are telecasting domestic matches that doesn't mean you will show the incorrect information @BCCI @BCCIdomestic pic.twitter.com/OGuBLmN3js
— Rahul Bodke (@Rahulbodke45) December 24, 2025
This technical error comes on top of the absence of India’s biggest stars from the live stream. The 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy was supposed to be a landmark event. Under a strict BCCI mandate, legends like Rohit Sharma (Mumbai) and Virat Kohli (Delhi) returned to the domestic grind to fine-tune their form. However, JioHotstar and Star Sports only selected a handful of matches for broadcast.
While viewers were forced to endure a broken scoreboard for UP vs. HYD, they were completely barred from watching Rohit Sharma lead Mumbai or Virat Kohli take the field for Delhi. JioHotstar couldn’t manage to get the run rate right for the matches they did show, while they didn’t even bother to show the matches everyone actually wanted to see.
Fans have pointed out that if the platform cannot handle the basic arithmetic of a domestic match, how can it be trusted with the high-bandwidth demands of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup or the IPL?
The Vijay Hazare Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket, and this season, it carried more star power than it has in a decade. By fumbling the technical delivery of the few matches they broadcast and ignoring the matches of global icons, JioHotstar has sent a disappointing message to the Indian cricket fandom.
Right now, JioHotstar is sitting on a very shaky chair. If the platform wants to win back the blue army, it needs to start by getting the basics right. Stay tuned for more updates.
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