19 May,2024 08:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Sharma (Pic: File Pic)
Indian captain Rohit Sharma slammed IPL 2024 broadcasters for breaching cricketers' privacy by recording their conversations with friends and later telecasting the contents.
Rohit opened up after a video of him and Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar went viral. In the video, the former Mumbai Indians skipper was seen having conversations about his future at the franchise.
"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," Rohit posted on X.
He added, "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."
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After the video of him and Nayar, Rohit was seen requesting broadcasters to shut down the audio. The conversation took place after MI's IPL 2024 fixture against KKR on May 11.
Kolkata Knight Riders posted that video on their social media handle and fans assumed that Rohit was speaking about leaving Mumbai Indians after the IPL 2024.
Following the controversy, the video was taken down by the Knight Riders' social media team. A few days after that, on May 17, Rohit was once again seen having a chat with Dhawal Kulkarni ahead of MI's fixture against Lucknow Super Giants. Seeing himself being recorded, the opener, with folded hands, requested the broadcaster to turn off the audio as one audio had already got him into trouble.
"Bhai audio band karo haan, already ek audio ne mera waat laga diya (Brother please close the audio, one audio has already made things difficult for me)," said Sharma in the video that also went viral.
(With PTI Inputs)
