Each and everything related to Virat Kohli grabs attention in the media.
Virat Kohli’s achievement as a cricketer is surreal, to say the least. He has taken Indian cricket to greater heights with his batting and captaincy.
Kohli, a veteran of 123 Tests, 311 ODIs and 125 T20Is, has amassed more than 28000 international runs with 85 centuries. He led India in 213 matches across formats and won 135 of them.
No wonder, Kohli is considered as one of the leading sports brands in the world. Each and everything related to him grabs attention in the media.
However, Virat Kohli doesn’t like being followed with cameras in hand, saying that constant filming makes him uncomfortable, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“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 IPL team, 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.
Kohli expressed frustration over the constant spotlight during his training sessions, which prevents him from organically working on his game.
“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," Kohli stated.
“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 remarked.
The RCB stalwart recounted a story about his frustration with the IPL’s robotic dog during a private 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," 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. 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 concluded.