There are plenty of discussions online on social media about whether the IPL is losing its charm and whether it relies heavily on star power, particularly during matches that feature big and impactful players like Virat Kohli.
Yes, it’s true that so far, we have had only two matches where the viewership crossed the 400 million mark, and both of these matches included Kohli: RCB vs SRH (season opener) drew over 430 million viewers, and RCB vs RR surpassed 410 million viewers. We also have RCB vs CSK at around 361 million, which remains one of the top-performing games.
It’s safe to admit that the “Kohli Factor” has certainly played an important role in driving these massive viewership numbers to JioHotstar. There have also been other matches that have struggled to reach even half of these numbers.
As a result, many believe that this interesting scenario makes it feel like the league is becoming a “one-man show,” where the general audience only tunes in for the icons rather than the cricket itself.
However, if we look at the broader data for the 2026 season, the “fading” narrative doesn’t quite hold up. Even if individual non-star matches aren’t breaking the 400 million mark, the total watch-time across the league is actually up by double digits compared to last year.
People are watching more minutes of cricket overall, even if they aren’t all piling into the same match at the exact same time. The opening weekend alone reached over 500 million unique viewers, which shows the reach is still massive.
Moreover, total watch-time is up by 26% compared to last year, hitting roughly 32.6 billion minutes in just the first few days.
Interestingly, linear TV ratings (Star Sports) have seen a 24% rise, suggesting that people aren’t just moving to digital, they’re watching more in general.
What we are seeing with IPL 2026 is a shift in how people watch cricket nowadays. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the IPL is becoming more like European football leagues, people are becoming team-centric or star-centric fans, rather than “general cricket fans.”
When Kohli or another big star player, or an exceptionally talented young player like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, plays, the entire country tunes in. But when smaller market teams play, the viewership becomes more regional.
So, is the craze for the IPL fading? Not really.
It’s just consolidating around its icons. The league is actually seeing higher engagement through the rise of OTT platforms and online streaming.
The fact that non-Kohli matches aren’t hitting 400 million doesn’t necessarily mean the league is dying. It just highlights that Virat Kohli is currently the main character of the IPL. As the tournament reaches the playoffs, we’ll likely see those 400 million+ numbers start to appear for other teams as the stakes get higher.
Do you think the IPL will struggle once the “Big Three” (Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni) eventually retire, or will new stars like Vaibhav Suryavanshi be enough to keep the numbers up? Tell us what you think and stay tuned for more updates.
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