How to watch cricket online from anywhere: live stream test matches, ODIs, T20s, franchise

Virat Kohli of India pulls a shot around leg side
(Image credit: Getty Images / Matt Roberts-ICC)

Watch cricket live streams

No matter the month, there always seems to be some kind of cricket competition to tune into these days. That's fantastic news if you can't get enough of the eternal battle between leather and willow and want to watch cricket live streams all year round.

As well as a busy international cricket calendar of ICC tournaments and bilateral Test match, ODI and T20I series, the year is now peppered with high profile franchise Twenty20 competitions – the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL), T20 Blast, The Hundred, PSL, MLC, SA20 and ILT20 to name but a few.

That makes keeping up with when and where to watch your favorite cricket stars play harder than facing an over from Jasprit Bumrah. Whether that's India's Virat Kohli adding to his record-breaking century count, Australia's Travis Head making mincemeat of another bowling attack or England's Ben Stokes performing his latest miracle.

In this article, we explain the main TV channels on which to catch the action around the world, as well as the streaming services you may need to watch cricket online.

Watch cricket live streams on Sling

Watch cricket on Sling TV: try 3 days for FREE
OTT service Sling features Willow TV – which broadcasts the vast majority of major world cricket matches in the US – on its Desi Binge Plus plan

Watch cricket on Sling TV: try 3 days for FREE
OTT service Sling features Willow TV – which broadcasts the vast majority of major world cricket matches in the US – on its Desi Binge Plus plan.

You can subscribe to it as a standalone package (i.e. you don't also need a standard Sling base package) and it costs a very reasonable $15 per month. But the great news is that you can try Desi Binge Plus absolutely free with the service's 3-day trial!

How to watch cricket live streams from anywhere

If you try to start streaming cricket on your normal streaming service when overseas, you'll soon discover that you can't. That's because broadcasters block you from watching when abroad due to rights reasons.

But there is a way to tune in regardless. By downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home. That way you can enjoy your home cricket coverage without having to find an illegal stream – assuming you comply with the broadcaster's fine print, of course – specifically its terms and conditions.

Use a VPN to watch cricket from anywhere:

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Safety, speed, and simplicity combine to make ExpressVPN our favorite VPN service. It's also compatible with loads of devices, it has 24/7 support if you need help and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you want to try it out.

Take a look at the 12-month plan for the best value

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How to watch cricket online in the US (and Canada)

Willow TV

Dedicated streaming service Willow TV has long been the place to get most of your cricket streaming action stateside. It carries pretty much all of the world's major tournaments from around the globe.

Willow TV (also available in Canada), is available as a standalone streaming service directly or from a number of cable providers including Dish, Spectrum, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and more.

If you don't have the channel on cable, a good option is cord-cutting streaming service Sling TV.

If you already have Sling, you can add Willow TV for an extra $5 per month. But if you don't, you can simply subscribe to its Desi Binge Plus plan for $15 a month, which includes Willow TV in its line-up of India-focussed channels and you can try with a 3-day FREE trial.

ESPN Plus also carries a selection of cricket matches, but these are more sporadic. For example, this service also carried the ICC World Cup 2023 alongside Willow TV.

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How to watch cricket in the UK

Sky Sports

Sky Sports has been the go-to place to watch live cricket in the UK for the best part of the last 20 years.

Sky Sports subscribers can watch the cricket on the go on mobile devices via the Sky Go streaming service, which has dedicated apps for desktop, iOS, iPadOS and Android devices, along with Xbox and PlayStation consoles and various other streaming devices. 

If you want to sign up, you can check out our dedicated guide to Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices.

Don't fancy being locked in to a long, expensive contract? Consider the more flexible streaming option, Now, (formerly Now TV).

TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) occasionally carries international matches and is available to watch with rolling monthly plans costing £29.99 via Discovery+ Premium.

It's rare to see cricket broadcast on free-to-air TV in the UK these days, but Channel 5 did show the 2023 Cricket World Cup final. The BBC also gets a handful of matches from The Hundred, and every County Championship game is now streamed live on YouTube.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good streaming VPN, as detailed above. 

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How to watch cricket online and on TV in Australia

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It's a mixed bag for watching cricket in Australia, with free-to-air stations competing alongside premium channels for the top action.

For example, Channel 9 and its 9Now online streaming service showed 18 games in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, with Foxtel and Kayo Sports showing every single minute of every game.

Fox and Kayo is often where international cricket is shown online, with recent Test and ODI series making their way to these premium services. Kayo costs from just $25 a month and has a wide and varied menu of other sports, too.

The majority of the domestic T20 Big Bash League is carried for free on Network Seven (and its online 7plus service), with every single BBL game being shown on Fox and Kayo.

Outside Australia? Don't forget, you can take your cricket coverage abroad with you as well. For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a good VPN is the solution.

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How to watch cricket online in India

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In the cricket-mad nation of India, TV rights are a fierce battle ground. That means the live action is spread between a variety of host broadcasters and streamers.

Star Sports and its Hotstar app get a lot of the action, with Disney Plus Hotstar prices starting from just Rs 499. For example, it was the host broadcaster for India's own 2023 Cricket World Cup.

The Sony Sports Network has long been another major player, but its coverage has dwindled in recent years. It still carries the likes of Test matches from England and the PSL, but not much in the way of cricket featuring India.

Media company Viacom18 caused a major splash when it bought the streaming rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL), which it puts out for free via its JioCinema app. All international cricket played In India will also be streamed on the JioCinema app for the next few years.

Other companies such as Zee Entertainment, Dream11 and Amazon also have the odd international series and tournament.

Anyone outside of India who wants to watch their home IPL coverage can just pick up our favorite cricket VPN and follow the instructions above to safely live stream the action. 

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How to watch cricket in New Zealand

Sky Sport

Sky Sport pretty much has a monopoly on showing cricket in New Zealand, especially now that Spark Sport has closed down.

If you don't have Sky Sport on cable, the cricket is also being shown live via the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform. The standard price of a Sky Sport Now pass is $24.99 per week and $44.99 per month.

Free-to-air TVNZ shows the occasional game, but Sky Sport will be the first port-of-call for cricket for most competitions.

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(Image credit: Future)

How to watch cricket in South Africa

SuperSport

Generally speaking, premium streaming subscription service SuperSport carries most major cricket from around the world. It also carries the country's new domestic SA20 tournament.

If you're not able to watch on your TV, you can also tune in via the network's streaming service for PC and Mac, as well as via SuperSport's dedicated app.

Sometimes free-to-air channel SABC covers big games, especially those involving the Proteas. So it's worth double checking your local listings before you splash out on SuperSport.

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How to watch cricket online for FREE in Pakistan

PTV Sports

Pakistan's state-owned channel PTV Sports carries a lot of premium cricket action from around the world.

Anyone in Pakistan simply needs to head to the PTV Sports website or download the PTVFLIX app to tune in without paying a penny.

The details of what matches are going to be shown and when tend to be quite sketchy, but it's worth making PTV Sports your first option if you're in Pakistan.

Adam Marshall

Adam was formerly the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles TechRadar produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam has now dusted off his keyboard to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide.