- ✓India and Pakistan no longer play bilateral series — the rivalry now lives almost entirely at ICC events (World Cups, the Champions Trophy).
- ✓In Ireland, those ICC matches — India v Pakistan included — are on Sky Sports via NOW. No VPN needed for the English feed.
- ✓Want the Indian feed? JioHotstar, via a VPN set to India (paid). Want the Pakistani feed? Tamasha, Myco or PTV, via a VPN set to Pakistan (often free).
- ✓India’s home series are on JioHotstar; Pakistan’s home series are on PTV Sports, A Sports, Tamasha and Myco.
- ✓The big VPNs — NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN — carry both India and Pakistan servers, so either feed is reachable.
The quick answer
India versus Pakistan happens almost only at ICC tournaments now, and in Ireland those are on Sky Sports — stream the English coverage via a NOW membership, no VPN required. If you want a national feed instead, that’s where a VPN comes in: connect to India for the JioHotstar broadcast, or to Pakistan for Tamasha, Myco or PTV. The Indian feed is paid; several Pakistani feeds are free but geo-locked.
Sky via NOW for the English feed · a VPN to India for JioHotstar · a VPN to Pakistan for Tamasha/Myco/PTV.
Why it’s an ICC-only fixture now
This is the piece of context that changes how you watch it. Because of the political relationship between the two countries, India and Pakistan haven’t played a bilateral series in years — no home-and-away Tests or ODIs the way India plays England or Australia. The rivalry survives almost entirely through ICC events: the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Champions Trophy, and the occasional Asia Cup.
That has a practical consequence for a fan in Ireland: you’re nearly always looking for an ICC tournament match, and ICC events in the UK and Ireland are held by Sky Sports through to 2031. So the simplest route to India v Pakistan here — for either set of supporters — is Sky via NOW. The VPN routes below are for when you specifically want your own country’s commentary and presentation.
The three feeds, and which is yours
- Sky Sports (English) — no VPN. Every ICC match, India v Pakistan included, on Sky Sports Cricket, Main Event and Mix. Stream via a NOW Sports membership. The effortless option for most viewers here.
- JioHotstar (Indian) — VPN to India. The Indian broadcast, with Hindi and regional commentary. It’s paid (from about ₹79/month) and locked to India, so you need an Indian IP from a VPN plus a JioHotstar plan.
- Tamasha / Myco / PTV (Pakistani) — VPN to Pakistan. Pakistan’s cricket streams on Tamasha, Myco and Tapmad and airs on PTV Sports, A Sports and Geo Super — several of them free but geo-locked to Pakistan. Connect a VPN to a Pakistan server for a Pakistani IP.
The honest bit
A VPN’s only job here is to give you an Indian or Pakistani IP so you can reach a feed you’re entitled to — your paid JioHotstar account, or a free Pakistani service like Myco. It doesn’t unlock anything you haven’t signed up for, and it never justifies a pirate stream. For India v Pakistan specifically, remember the plain fact that the game is on Sky in Ireland anyway — so the VPN is about which commentary you want, not about getting the match at all.
Watch your home feed, step by step
Whether you’re after the Indian or Pakistani feed, the routine is the same — about four minutes:
- 1Pick your feed and country
Decide which broadcast you want: Sky’s English coverage (NOW, no VPN), the Indian JioHotstar feed (VPN to India), or a Pakistani feed like Tamasha or Myco (VPN to Pakistan). The steps below cover the two VPN routes.
- 2Set up the streaming account first
On your normal Irish connection, sort your account: a JioHotstar plan for the Indian feed (paid, from ~₹79/month), or a free Tamasha/Myco account for the Pakistani feed. Some sign-ups expect a local mobile number.
- 3Connect the VPN to India or Pakistan
Open your VPN app and connect to India (for JioHotstar) or Pakistan (for Tamasha/Myco/PTV). NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN all carry both — see the shortlist below.
- 4Open the app and play
Launch the streaming app, sign in, pick the match and press play. Connect a few minutes early — an India–Pakistan game is the biggest traffic night in cricket.
Which VPNs work
You want a provider that carries both India and Pakistan servers with the speed for live play. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN all do — the same names that top our cricket testing. Our top three:
See the full table and our India-server speed tests in the best VPN for cricket & Hotstar ranking, or the wider how to watch cricket in Ireland hub. For the IPL specifically, see how to watch the IPL in Ireland, or our overall best VPN for Ireland ranking.
Devices & match-day tips
- Phone-first? Most of this viewing is on a phone — install the VPN app, connect to India or Pakistan, open JioHotstar, Tamasha or Myco. Two taps.
- On the big screen: install the VPN app on a Fire TV Stick, Android TV or Apple TV, connect to the right country, then open the app. Samsung and LG smart TVs can’t run a VPN app — run it on your router or cast from your phone.
- Connect early. An India–Pakistan match is the single biggest traffic night in cricket — get set up well before the toss.
- Blocked or buffering? Switch to another server in the same country and reload — our slow-VPN fix and won’t-connect fix apply here too.