Virat Kohli Fed Up With Cameras Following Cricketers All The Time! ‘Not A Comfortable Feeling At All’
Virat Kohli does not like being followed constantly with cameras in hand, especially during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The star Indian cricketer said he does not find it comfortable being followed around from the moment he walks onto the ground.
“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 on a podcast with his Indian Premier League (IPL) side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
“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 said he has had to rethink his training, given that cameras are always on him, with fans and experts dissecting his every move.
“If you, everything you do is an opportunity to film or display or to dissect, then you are not organic. I’m not going to be able to try to do things at practice, which I really want to do, because I know tomorrow if someone films it, and there are discussions on my practice sessions,” he said.
“You judge me on my performances during the game. During the lead-up, no one has the right to judge me for what I’m doing in terms of my preparation, the things I’m trying in the nets. So, I just feel like there has to be a bit more streamlining in terms of understanding how much to do, when to do, and is the player okay with, you know, being filmed at all times? I think those kind of things really needs to be taken into account because this is my honest assessment. It gets too much,” he added.
Kane Mama, King Kohli And Robot Dog!
Kohli recalled the moment when he asked IPL’s dog robot to be moved during his conversation with 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. But I’m like, why is this guy, like, doing (waves hands). I’m talking to him about something so serious, you know? I looked at him, and I ignored him. Then I told the guy, please take him away. You know, let me talk in peace,” he 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. He’s a friend, I’ve known him since our under-19 days. Bechara kuch baat kar raha hain. Mereko baat toh karne do. Kisise bahar ground pe miloge toh news ban jayegi. Thoda zyada hain. (Poor thing is saying something to me. Let me speak to him. If I go and meet someone on the ground, it becomes news. This is a bit too much),” he added.
