Team India skipper Rohit Sharma was forthright in his criticism of Star Sports after a video clip of his conversation with Abhishek Nayar went viral.
Rohit Sharma recently voiced strong disapproval over a “breach of privacy” after a video clip of him went viral. In the clip, Rohit was seen telling Star Sports not to air a particular conversation. He mentioned that an earlier discussion with former Mumbai batter and current KKR coach Abhishek Nayar had stirred controversy, and he wanted to avoid a repeat of that situation.
The incident follows the broadcast of Rohit Sharma’s conversation with Dhawal Kulkarni at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Despite requesting the cameraman to switch off the audio, their discussion was still aired on TV. In the video, Rohit can be heard asking the cameraman to turn off the audio, referencing the previous viral chat with Abhishek Nayar that had caused issues. The Indian captain seemed concerned about sharing sensitive information from the Mumbai Indians dressing room publicly.
Rohit took to his official X account (formerly Twitter) to express his displeasure with Star Sports, the host broadcaster. He accused them of not respecting his privacy and cautioned that airing private conversations could “break the trust” among the various stakeholders, clearly stating his position on the issue.
Rohit Sharma wrote – “The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras are now recording every step and conversation we are having in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days.”
“Despite asking Star Sports to not record my conversation, it was and was also then played on air, which is a breach of privacy. The need to get exclusive content and focused only on views and engagement will one day break the trust between the fans, cricketers and cricket. Let better sense prevail.”
Before the first ball was bowled in this IPL season, the Mumbai Indians were already embroiled in controversies. Hardik Pandya’s return to the team came with him taking over as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. However, the team’s issues persisted once the season started, with Hardik facing hostility from fans and the team delivering disappointing performances throughout their 14 matches. Ultimately, Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the league table, earning only 8 points.
Despite the team’s poor showing, Rohit Sharma had a commendable individual campaign. He stood out as a bright spot, becoming the leading run-scorer for Mumbai Indians with 427 runs in 14 matches, averaging 32.07. Now that the IPL season has concluded and MI has been eliminated, Rohit will shift his focus to the upcoming T20 World Cup, where he will resume his role as captain. Hardik Pandya will serve as his deputy in the global tournament.
