The Delhi High Court has granted sweeping interim relief to JioStar India Private Limited, ordering the blocking of multiple rogue websites found to be illegally streaming the ongoing ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 and the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2026.

The order marks a significant step in curbing digital piracy of live sporting events, particularly during high-value, time-sensitive tournaments.

According to a TheStoryboard18 report, Justice Jyoti Singh, in an order dated January 29, 2026, held that JioStar had made out a strong prima facie case of copyright infringement. The court granted an ex parte ad interim injunction against seven identified rogue websites and, crucially, enabled a “dynamic” enforcement mechanism to deal with mirror, proxy or redirect websites that may emerge during the tournaments.

JioStar told the court that it holds exclusive broadcast and digital media rights for multiple ICC events under a media rights agreement signed with the International Cricket Council in August 2022, valid from 2024 to 2027. These rights include television and digital transmission in India, covering live streaming, highlights, clips and delayed telecasts through its network of over 100 channels and its OTT platform, JioHotstar.

The broadcaster argued that unauthorised live streaming causes immediate and irreparable harm, undermining its Broadcast Reproduction Rights under Section 37 of the Copyright Act, 1957. Given the fleeting commercial life of live sports content, any delay in enforcement, it said, would render its exclusive rights meaningless.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup began on January 15 and runs until February 6, while the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled between February 7 and March 8, with matches in India and Sri Lanka. Citing the urgency and the ongoing nature of infringement, the court dispensed with pre-institution mediation and granted immediate relief.

In its observations, the court noted that the defendant websites appeared to be habitual offenders, structured primarily to host pirated content and unlawfully retransmit live sporting events. JioStar submitted evidence showing that some of these platforms were already streaming live matches from the Under-19 tournament, in certain cases directly using the broadcaster’s feed and registered trademarks.

Acknowledging that such websites often reappear through mirror or proxy domains once blocked, the court invoked past precedents on online piracy and issued what it described as a “Dynamic+ injunction”. This allows JioStar to extend the injunction to newly discovered infringing websites during the currency of the tournaments by notifying authorities and filing supporting affidavits.

The High Court directed domain name registrars to suspend and block the identified domains, instructed internet service providers and telecom operators to block access to the infringing websites, and asked the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to issue necessary directions to ensure compliance. Registrars have also been ordered to file sealed affidavits disclosing registrant details linked to the rogue websites.

While granting the relief, the court also provided safeguards, allowing any legitimate website that may be inadvertently blocked to approach it for modification, subject to an undertaking against illegal dissemination. The matter will next come up for review on February 26, 2026, with further hearings scheduled in April.