How to Watch Cricket Live: Tests, ODIs, T20 Leagues and World Cups

Cricket is the hardest major sport to follow from abroad. A Test match lasts up to five days, a one-day international fills a full day, T20 leagues run almost all year round and the biggest series are played on the other side of the world from many of the fans who care most. If you want to watch cricket live, the challenge is less about finding a channel and more about fitting the game into your own time zone.

This guide explains the formats, the main competitions and when they are played, start times around the world, the official broadcasters in the big cricket markets and a setup for following long days of cricket with Aero IPTV. It is part of our sports series; see the guide to watching sport on Aero IPTV for the rest of the sporting year.

Cricket formats explained

The format decides how you watch. A T20 match fits into an evening like a football game. A Test match needs a plan: live sessions when you can, catch-up and highlights for the rest.

The cricket calendar

International cricket

International teams tour each other throughout the year, so there is international cricket somewhere in almost every month. The ICC organises the global tournaments: the World Test Championship, decided by a final every two years, and the white-ball World Cups. The next Men's ODI World Cup is scheduled for October and November 2027 in southern Africa, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Franchise T20 leagues

Cricket start times around the world

Where the match is played decides everything. Some typical start times:

Official cricket broadcasters

Cricket rights are sold series by series and tournament by tournament, so the broadcaster depends on who is playing, where and in which country you watch. At the time of writing, some of the main official options include:

For guaranteed coverage of a specific series, the official broadcaster in your country is the dependable route. Aero IPTV channel line-ups change over time and, as our terms explain, no specific channel or competition can be guaranteed, so check your own line-up rather than relying on it for a particular series. This guide does not cover ways around regional restrictions.

Following a Test match on Aero IPTV

A five-day Test asks more of your setup and your schedule than any other sport. A plan that works:

1. Make a cricket favourites group with the channels you use, so each session is one click away.
2. Watch the sessions that fit your day live, typically the first session before work or the last one in the evening, depending on where the match is.
3. Use catch-up for the rest. On channels that support it, go back in the guide and play a session from the start. Mute score apps first.
4. Use official highlights for days you cannot watch at all.
5. Set reminders for the start of play each day, since rain delays and early finishes change the rhythm.

Following the IPL and other T20 leagues

T20 leagues are easier: a match fits into an evening, and leagues such as the IPL often schedule two matches on weekend days. For a busy league season:

• Use two screens when two matches overlap or when someone else wants the TV. That needs a plan with two connections; see the Aero IPTV connections guide.
• Watch on the move carefully. On mobile data, choose SD or HD rather than 4K; a three-and-a-half-hour match uses a lot of data.
• Check the language track. Big leagues are often broadcast with commentary in several languages; most players let you switch audio from the playback menu.

Getting the best picture for cricket

• FHD is ideal for long viewing on most screens; 4K suits a large TV if your connection is steady all day.
• Picture mode matters on sunny pitches. A Movie or Cinema mode keeps the bright green outfield natural rather than oversaturated.
• Wire the main TV for long Test days, so a busy evening on your network does not interrupt the final session.

The Aero IPTV 4K and quality guide explains how to match quality to your connection and screen.

Common problems on cricket days

For anything else, our Aero IPTV troubleshooting guide works from symptom to cause.

How a day of Test cricket is structured

A Test day is split into three sessions of about two hours each, separated by a lunch break of around 40 minutes and a tea break of around 20 minutes. Around 90 overs are scheduled each day. Bad light or rain can stop play, and lost time is sometimes made up by starting earlier or playing later on the following days. Knowing the rhythm helps you pick which session to watch live: the first session, with a new ball, and the last session, when the day can turn, are often the most eventful.

The World Test Championship

Test series are not just stand-alone contests any more. Most of them count towards the ICC World Test Championship, a two-year competition in which teams earn points from their series, ranked by the percentage of available points won. The top two teams at the end of each cycle meet in a one-off final. It gives every series a wider context, and it is why a dead-rubber Test can still matter for the table.

Cricket runs all year round somewhere in the world, so a 12-month Aero IPTV plan suits most cricket fans; compare plans on the pricing page.

Women's cricket has grown fast too, with its own international series, World Cups and franchise competitions such as the Women's Premier League in India and the women's competition of The Hundred, often scheduled alongside the men's matches.

More sport guides

• How to watch Formula 1 live
• How to watch the Premier League live
• Watching sport on Aero IPTV through the year

Conclusion

To watch cricket live wherever you are, match the format to your day: T20 leagues fit an evening, ODIs fill a day and Test matches need a mix of live sessions, catch-up and highlights. Use the official broadcaster for guaranteed coverage of each series, let your guide convert the start times and keep a second connection for busy league seasons.

New to Aero IPTV? Test your setup with the free trial checklist, and see the complete AeroIPTV guide for an overview of the service.