Cricket Frenzy: India vs New Zealand semi-finals makes history with over 5 crore viewers tuning in online

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Semi Final match between India and New Zealand on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, has created history by becoming the most-watched cricket match online in India. The thrilling encounter, which see's India play against New Zealand attracted a staggering '5 crore plus' concurrent viewers on Disney+ Hotstar, the official streaming partner of the tournament1.

This is the highest peak concurrency number achieved across all formats of cricket, surpassing the previous record of 3.5 crore viewers set by the India vs Pakistan match on Saturday, October 22, 20232. The India vs New Zealand match in last world cup also witnessed a record television reach of 173 million and a record consumption of 16.7 billion minutes in India on the Star India Network1.

The match was a must-win for both teams, as they were fighting for a spot in the semi-finals of the World Cup. India, who had lost their previous match against Australia, bounced back with a brilliant performance by their bowlers, who restricted New Zealand to 153 for 8 in 20 overs. 

Talking about today's match, the cricket world witnessed history today as Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket captain, smashed his 50th ODI century during the highly anticipated semi-final match against New Zealand in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. The momentous achievement not only left fans in awe but also garnered reactions from Bollywood celebrities and cricket legends present at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Virat Kohli's century is a remarkable feat, making him the first cricketer to achieve 50 ODI centuries, breaking the record set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. The news sent waves of excitement through the stadium, and the stands were filled with cheers from the crowd.