Cricket Darbar arrives on ZEE5 Global with Shikhar Dhawan hosting a royal court styled cricket entertainment series.
MUMBAI: ZEE5 Global has expanded its free entertainment slate with the launch of Cricket Darbar, a Hindi weekly sports talk show combining cricket discussions, humour and fan reactions in a royal court inspired setting. The programme premiered on May 6 under the platform’s Free5 offering, which features free access to television shows, films, web series, news and children’s content for viewers across markets.
The series is built around the ongoing cricket season and presents weekly conversations on the sport through satire, debate and celebrity appearances. Former Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan plays the role of the “Maharaj”, delivering verdicts on key moments, controversies and talking points from recent matches. Each episode also introduces a “Royal Mehman”, with actor Adah Sharma appearing in the debut episode alongside influencer RJ Kisna, known for his comedic social media sketches.
Siju Prabhakaran of ZEE5 said Cricket Darbar combines fan sentiment, humour and cricket discussions in a fresh royal court format led by Shikhar Dhawan.
Produced by The Lallantop, the show aims to reflect the changing style of cricket fandom, where social media reactions, memes and instant debates shape audience conversations around the game. Executives at ZEE5 said the concept was designed to create a culturally relevant format that blends entertainment with weekly cricket analysis in a more accessible way for younger audiences.
Kartik Mahadev of ZEE said the show reflects modern cricket fandom through memes, debates and real-time reactions while making fans part of the conversation.
Shikhar Dhawan said Cricket Darbar captures the emotion, humour and passionate discussions surrounding cricket in an entertaining new format.
According to the platform, Cricket Darbar has been developed as a topical series that follows the rhythm of the cricket calendar while maintaining a strong comedy driven narrative. The makers believe the royal court presentation helps distinguish the programme from traditional sports discussion shows currently available on streaming platforms and television networks.
The launch also highlights ZEE5 Global’s wider strategy to strengthen original Hindi programming and expand audience engagement through free digital content offerings during major sporting events.
