India-New Zealand T20 series begins today; first six overs to stream on TikTok

The T20 series between India and New Zealand begins today. New Zealand Cricket has decided, for the first time, to show the match live on TikTok. For Indian fans there is a problem, since TikTok is banned in India.

It is the first time this has happened in cricket. The New Zealand board and Sky Sports have decided together that the first six overs of the India-New Zealand T20 matches, the powerplay, will be shown on TikTok in vertical format. As with reels, the match will appear on a mobile phone in an upright screen.

The experiment is meant to draw towards cricket a younger generation used to watching reels continuously.

Indian fans face a difficulty, though. The move is being discussed around the world, but TikTok is banned in India. The government blocked TikTok in India a few years ago, citing security reasons. Indian viewers therefore cannot go directly to TikTok to watch the match. Some may try to watch through a VPN, but that route is not safe and may run into hurdles.

Only the first six overs will be shown on TikTok, not the full match. Rather than going to such lengths for six overs, it is better to take the easy, authorised route to watch the entire match.

Sony Pictures holds all rights to New Zealand cricket for India. It has the TV and online rights from 2024 to 2031.

There are two options. The first is on mobile or laptop: to watch online, download the Sony LIV app. The match can also be watched by logging in on its website.

The second is on television: the match will be shown live on the Sony Sports Ten 1, Ten 3 and Ten 5 channels. The Indian team is playing under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. All the T20 matches will start at 12:30 pm Indian time. Sony LIV is the safest and best option, the report said, with no interruption and the full match in clear quality.