Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has shared his frustration about being constantly filmed during the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former India captain said players need more privacy during practice and personal conversations.
Speaking on a podcast with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kohli explained how social media coverage around the league has become overwhelming. He said cameras following players everywhere makes it difficult to prepare naturally.
“Like social media is a huge part of, you know, the commercial representation or the fan engagement for any team, which is understandable,” Kohli said.
“But I honestly am hand on heart, I genuinely feel like there has to be a bit more streamlining, because if you look at the growth of the official fan clubs or the official fan pages of teams, it has taken place after a long period of time when the IPL was already in play. So it’s not a thing that people are ready for from day one. So immediately you walk to practice and you have six cameras following, it’s not a comfortable feeling at all. As a sportsperson, you need to have the ability and the freedom to work on your game in peace,” he added.
Virat Kohli recalls robot dog moment with Kane Williamson
Kohli also revealed an incident involving the IPL’s robot dog while he was speaking with his close friend Kane Williamson.
“Like, I don’t like discussing. I was talking to Kane the other day. And there’s that robot thing, doing (waves hands), and I’m like, man,” Kohli said.
“He’s my friend. I can’t have a conversation with him without it becoming a moment of ‘Kane Mama’ and ‘King Kohli’ meeting. What man.”
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