Sports
Vida Knights Electrifying Box Cricket crowns champions in Kolkata
KKR fan tournament sees 32 teams battle over three days; Joy Game Changers lift inaugural title on 21 February 2026.
MUMBAI: Kolkata’s streets just hosted a cricket revolution because when fans swap the stands for the pitch, every boundary feels like a personal six. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in partnership with Vida powered by Hero, wrapped up their first large-scale fan-only box cricket tournament, Vida Knights Electrifying Box Cricket, from 19–21 February 2026. The high-energy, grassroots event transformed neighbourhood pride into competitive fire, giving amateur players, fan clubs, and local heroes a professionally run stage inside the Knight Riders universe.
Across three non-stop days, 32 teams of 10 players each fought through group stages and knockouts in a fast-paced format packed with innovation. Joy Game Changers emerged as inaugural champions, with Knights Dé Xtreme taking runners-up honours after a weekend of noise, skill, and bragging rights that echoed Kolkata’s deep cricket passion.
Adding star power to the mix, one of the 32 teams featured popular local creators Neel Bhattacharya, Dasoham, Rahul Dey, Saiket Dey, and Nirit Datta blending digital fandom with on-ground action in a format that erased the line between watching and playing.
The tournament reimagined box cricket with Vida-branded twists, bonus targets rewarded precision shots (nodding to the scooter’s removable battery), the Vida Electric Over doubled every run and banned dismissals for explosive momentum, and the Impact Player rule let teams unleash a game-changer at clutch moments. Matches stayed unpredictable and adrenaline-charged right to the final delivery.
Knight Riders Sports group chief marketing officer Binda Dey said, “Cricket has always lived in the heart of Kolkata. With VIDA Knights Electrifying Box Cricket, we took the game back to the fans in a format that’s fast, accessible, and powered by participation.”
Motocorp chief business officer of Hero emerging mobility business unit Kausalya Nandakumar added, “Our association with KKR is rooted in confidence, resilience, and aspiration. VIDA Knights Electrifying Box Cricket brings cricket’s unmatched passion to the streets, creating a platform where supporters not only watch but play and engage.”
For a city where cricket isn’t just followed but lived, this tournament proved fandom runs deepest when it’s played on the same turf electric shots, community cheers, and zero distance between hero and hero-worshipper.
Sports
JioStar drags Legends League Cricket to Delhi High Court in media rights row
The streaming giant secured an interim order on the very day the tournament was set to kick off, freezing commercial dealings and pushing the dispute toward mediation
MUMBAI: JioStar India moved fast and hit hard. On March 11th, the same day the Legends League Cricket Masters T20 Tournament was scheduled to begin, the company secured an interim order from the Delhi High Court against Absolute Legends Sports Private Limited, the outfit that runs the league, in a bitter dispute over media and commercial rights.
The petition, filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, before Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, sought ad-interim protection preventing Absolute Legends from creating third-party rights, transferring, assigning or otherwise dealing with the media and commercial rights relating to the league. In plain terms: JioStar wanted to stop Absolute Legends from doing any more deals with anyone else while the dispute runs its course.
What Absolute Legends agreed to
Senior advocate Abhimanyu Bhandari, appearing for Absolute Legends, did not come to court empty-handed. He submitted that the company would file a comprehensive affidavit disclosing all commercial transactions currently being undertaken, including the agreement entered into with the second respondent in the case. The affidavit, he said, would be filed by all directors of the company.
Crucially, Bhandari also undertook that any receivables arising from commercial arrangements connected to the league would be deposited directly with the court, in an account to be opened by the registrar general, toward satisfaction of the admitted liability. The one caveat: those deposits should not prevent Absolute Legends from meeting its operational expenses necessary for the smooth functioning of its commercial activities. In other words, the company wants to keep the lights on while the legal battle plays out.
JioStar was represented by senior advocate Kunal Tandon, leading a team that included Aanchal Tandon, Niti Jain, Niharika Sharma, Nitai Agarwal and Natasa, along with Krishma Shah as the authorised representative of the petitioner.
Mediation ordered, next date set
Both sides agreed that the matter should be referred for mediation, and the court obliged. The dispute was directed to the Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre, with parties ordered to appear before it on March 13th. The incharge of the mediation centre was requested to appoint a senior mediator. The case is listed before the court again on March 17th for further proceedings.
The timing could hardly be more awkward for Legends League Cricket. A tournament that was supposed to be launching was instead the subject of a courtroom freeze on the very day it was meant to kick off. Whether mediation resolves the dispute quickly or the matter returns to a full hearing on March 17th, one thing is clear: JioStar is not prepared to let its rights walk out the door without a fight.
