Rohit Sharma blasts IPL broadcasters for privacy breach

Indian cricketer, Rohit Sharma, has openly criticized the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 broadcasters, Star Sports, for recording and airing private conversations between players, calling it a serious breach of privacy. 

Sharma expressed his concerns over the invasive nature of media coverage surrounding cricketers. In a post on his X account, he highlighted the increasing intrusiveness of cameras in the lives of cricketers.

“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,” Sharma wrote on X.

The 37-year old also emphasized that despite his request to Star Sports to refrain from recording his private conversations, his interactions were still captured and broadcasted, undermining his privacy.

“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," he further added.

It is worth noting that Sharma's post came in response to a recent incident where his private conversation with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Abhishek Nayar went viral on social media. He warned that the relentless pursuit of exclusive content could erode the trust between fans, cricketers, and the sport itself, urging for better judgment in media practices.

Previously, Sharma had also requested Star Sports to disable audio recordings while cameras were pointed at him during casual conversations with teammates. "Brother, please close the audio, one audio has already made things difficult for me," he was heard saying in a clip recorded by Star Sports.

The controversy surrounding Sharma's privacy concerns is compounded by his recent replacement as MI captain by Hardik Pandya before the IPL 2024 season began. This decision was met with significant backlash from fans, resulting in a hostile environment for Pandya in several stadiums. The five-time IPL champions finished at the bottom of the points table with just four wins in 14 matches.