Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson (Agency Photo)
Virat Kohli has spoken openly about the increased presence of cameras around players during the Indian Premier League, admitting that the constant surveillance during practice sessions has become uncomfortable and intrusive. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru star said the players should be allowed to prepare in peace without their every move being recorded and analyzed on social media. One of the most followed cricketers in the world, Kohli is constantly in the spotlight on and off the field. From training drills to casual chats, almost every moment involving the former India captain quickly finds its way online. Recognizing the importance of fan engagement and digital content in modern cricket, Kohli believes things have now reached a stage where balance is needed. Speaking on the RCB podcast, Kohli talked about how difficult it is to focus freely on improving your game when multiple cameras are tracking your every move during practice. “You walk to practice, and you have six cameras behind you. It’s not a comfortable feeling at all. As a sportsperson, you need the ability and freedom to work on your game calmly. If everything you do is an opportunity to film or display or dissect, then you’re not organic,” Kohli said. The 37-year-old added that players often experiment with techniques or methods during practice, but the fear of making those moments public changes the way they train. “I won’t be able to try to do what I really want to do in practice because I know tomorrow if someone is going to film it and my practice sessions are being discussed. You judge me on my performance during the game, not during the lead-up. No one has the right to judge what I am doing in terms of my preparation, the things I am trying on the net. Kohli added that while social media has become a big part of the IPL ecosystem and team branding, there should be clear boundaries around player consent and behind-the-scenes access. “I just feel like there’s got to be a little more smoothness in terms of understanding how much to do, when to do it, whether the player is being filmed all the time. These kinds of things really need to be taken into account because it becomes overwhelming. I love the pressure of sports, but I honestly don’t like the pressure of anything else. As social media is a huge part of any team’s commercial representation or fan engagement, that’s understandable,” Kohli said. BettingGreat also pointed out that the explosion of official fan pages and social media content around franchises happened slowly over time, meaning players were never quite ready for this level of consistent exposure from the start of the IPL. “But I genuinely feel that there needs to be a bit more streamlining, because if you look at the development of official fan clubs or official fan pages of teams, it’s been a long time since the IPL was already going on. So it’s not something that people were ready for from day one,” he added. Kohli also recalled a recent conversation. Ken Williamson During RCB’s IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Supergiants, where even private conversations became difficult due to cameras and IPL’s roving Champak robots. “I was talking. Ken Another day, and that robot thing is just waving at me. And I’m like, ‘Why is this thing waving at me?’ I am talking to Ken about something so serious. At first, I ignored the dog, and then I asked the man controlling it, please take it away. Let me speak calmly. Ken is my friend. “I can’t interact with him until it becomes a moment,” Kohli said. Despite his concerns off the field, Kohli enjoyed another impressive IPL campaign with the bat. The RCB talisman recently scored his ninth IPL century against Kolkata Knight Riders and has scored 484 runs at an average of 53.78 and a strike rate of 165.75 in 12 matches so far this season.
