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 terminates Bangladesh IPL and WPL broadcast rights deals
Payment defaults lead to licence cancellations and potential legal action.
MUMBAI: When the money stops flowing in cricket’s biggest cash cow, even the sub-licence holders can find themselves suddenly bowled out. JioStar India Private Limited has terminated its Bangladesh sub-licence agreements for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) after the counterparty, Excel Lead IT Solutions FZ-LLC (holding company of broadcaster T-Sports), failed to clear outstanding dues.
The agreements, originally signed with Viacom18 (now part of JioStar) and later novated to Excel Lead, covered digital media rights for the IPL and WPL in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. In early January 2026, JioStar issued a demand notice for unpaid amounts related to the IPL 2025 and WPL 2025 seasons. Despite providing full access to matches and allowing complete commercial exploitation, the dues remained unpaid even after the cure period expired.
As a result, all licensed rights have automatically reverted to JioStar. The company has demanded immediate payment of all outstanding dues along with overdue interest and costs, and has instructed Excel Lead (T-Sports) to immediately cease any broadcast, streaming, promotion or exploitation of the rights in Bangladesh. Any continued use would constitute unauthorised exploitation.
JioStar is also considering legal proceedings, including interim and injunctive relief, to protect the commercial value of these high-profile cricket properties.
In a separate development, JioStar has invoked arbitration against Green Bean Sports Marketing (an affiliate of Gazi TV Bangladesh) over a sublicensing agreement for IPL television media rights in Bangladesh for the 2023–27 seasons. The agreement was terminated in January 2025 due to contractual breaches and payment issues.
Industry sources say JioStar remains confident in the judicial process and is determined to recover all outstanding amounts, including interest and litigation costs, in full.
The developments highlight a growing zero-tolerance approach by rights holders towards payment defaults and unauthorised exploitation in South Asia’s lucrative sports media market, where marquee cricket properties continue to command premium valuations.
In the high-stakes game of cricket broadcasting, it seems JioStar has decided that when payments don’t come, the game stops and the rights go back to the rightful owner.
