What Cricbuzz Actually Offers Cricket Fans
Cricbuzz is one of the most widely installed cricket apps around, and the store listing makes clear what it wants to be: a one-stop hub for live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, news, stats, and now live streaming through its Willow by Cricbuzz feature covering IPL, ICC World Cups, Big Bash, PSL, BPL and various home tours. It’s aimed at cricket fans who want quick score checks during a workday as well as die-hard viewers who want to stream entire tours. With over 236 million installs, it’s clearly the default choice for a huge chunk of cricket followers, especially in India and other cricket-heavy markets.
Where the App Genuinely Delivers
The core promise of superfast scores and detailed ball-by-ball commentary is still what keeps people coming back after years of use, with multiple long-term users noting they’ve relied on it for 5+ years. The breadth of coverage is real too: international matches, IPL, BBL, domestic cricket, rankings, and stats are all there in one place, which is hard to find consolidated elsewhere. For fans who just want schedules, notifications for live matches, and quick scorecards, the fundamentals of the app do work.
The Ad Load Has Become a Real Problem
The most consistent complaint across reviews is the sheer volume of advertising. Users describe full-screen ads, popups, and unskippable video ads interrupting the experience on nearly every page, with one reviewer joking the app should be renamed ‘Cric Advertising Buzz.’ Even paying subscribers report ads showing up during in-game moments, meaning important match moments get missed while waiting out a 30-second ad break. This isn’t a minor annoyance mentioned once; it shows up repeatedly as the top frustration.
Performance and Subscription Issues Add to the Frustration
Beyond ads, users report the free version has started lagging, sometimes requiring the app to be force-killed just to see a match summary or scorecard. Player card stats have also been flagged as occasionally inaccurate. On the paid side, billing problems are a serious concern: at least one reviewer described being charged five times for a single month, twice, with no resolution after contacting support. Other complaints include losing older functionality like hiding scores for spoiler-free replay watching, and no longer being able to watch match parts while the game is still live.
Who Should Actually Download This
If you want the widest possible cricket coverage in a single free app and can tolerate heavy advertising, Cricbuzz still functions as a reliable score-and-news companion, and its longevity and install base speak to that. But if you’re considering the paid Willow subscription specifically for ad-free streaming, the billing complaints and in-app ads during premium viewing are worth taking seriously before you pay. Casual fans checking scores occasionally will likely have a smoother experience than those trying to stream full matches or manage a subscription long-term.
