The blackout of Twenty20 cricket's iconic Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangladesh is set to continue this season after rights holder JioStar, the heavyweight pay-TV operator, terminated its rights deal with local broadcaster TSports.
The 2026 IPL season, which started over the weekend, is currently not being shown in neighbouring Bangladesh after worsening relations between the two nations led to the Bangladeshi government banning live coverage of the league earlier this year.
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However, live coverage of the IPL in the country have now taken a further hit after JioStar terminated the rights deal with TSport which would have seen the broadcaster air matches if the ban was lifted, citing "continued failure and default in adhering to the payment timelines stipulated under the agreement."
TSports had sublicensed IPL rights for the 2023-27 cycle from Indian and subcontinental rightsholder JioStar, but according to news outlet Reuters, JioStar sent two letters to TSports on February 17 stating that the deals covering the IPL and Women's Premier League were both terminated with immediate effect.
The move comes amid worsening relations between the nations, which earlier this year led Bangladesh refusing to play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India, citing security concerns.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested to shift their matches to co-hosts Sri Lanka, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) declined. Bangladesh eventually withdrew from the 20-team tournament and were replaced by Scotland.
Elsewhere in the IPL, the Delhi Capitals franchise have brought in cricket-centric mobile app CREX as a partner for the 2026 season.
The Delhi franchise has unveiled CREX as their official fan engagement partner.
This will entail CREX powering a "dedicated fan engagement format" through quizzes and other contests integrated into its coverage of live matches.
Fans can take part for free, engaging with live game moments in real time, with participants eligible to win rewards such as Capitals merchandise, memorabilia, and match tickets.
Sunil Gupta, chief executive (CEO) at the Delhi Capitals, has said: "At Delhi Capitals, our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this partnership allows us to further deepen that connection. CREX’s innovative, real-time engagement format adds a new interactive layer which will help bring our fans closer to the game and make this season all the more exciting."
Purshottam Rawat, CREX' CEO, added: "Our partnership with Delhi Capitals is about turning passive viewership into active participation, where every ball, every over, becomes an opportunity to engage. We’re excited to bring this experience to millions of fans during T20 season 2026."
The Capitals' first IPL fixture of the 2026 season comes on April 1, when they take on the Lucknow Super Giants.
The Delhi side finished fifth in last season's IPL (won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru), and in doing so, failed to make the post-season playoffs.
Other recently-announced team sponsors include infrastructure firm GMR Sports.
