Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson (Agency Image)
Virat Kohli has spoken candidly about the growing presence of cameras around players during the Indian Premier League, admitting that the constant monitoring during practice sessions has become uncomfortable and intrusive. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru star said players should be allowed to prepare in peace without every movement being recorded and analysed on social media. One of the most followed cricketers in the world, Kohli remains under constant attention both on and off the field. From training drills to casual interactions, nearly every moment involving the former India captain quickly finds its way online. While acknowledging the importance of fan engagement and digital content in modern cricket, Kohli believes things have now reached a stage where there needs to be a balance. Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli explained how difficult it is to focus freely on improving his game when multiple cameras are tracking every activity during practice. “You walk to practice, and you have six cameras following you. It’s not a comfortable feeling at all. As a sports person, you need the ability and the freedom to work on your game in peace. If everything you do is an opportunity to film or display or to dissect, then you are not being organic,” Kohli said. The 37-year-old added that players often experiment with techniques or methods during practice, but the fear of those moments being circulated publicly changes the way they train. “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. You judge me on my performances during the game, not during the leadup. No one has the right to judge me on what I’m doing in terms of my preparation, the things I’m trying in the nets,” he added. Kohli further stated that while social media has become a major part of the IPL ecosystem and team branding, there must be clearer boundaries regarding player consent and access behind the scenes. “I just feel like there has to be a bit more streamlining in terms of understanding how much to do, when to do, is the player okay with being filmed at all times. Those kinds of things really need to be taken into account because it gets too much. I love the pressure of the game, but I honestly don’t love the pressure of anything else. Like social media is a huge part of the commercial representation or the fan engagement for any team, which is understandable,” Kohli said. The batting great also pointed out that the explosion of official fan pages and social media content around franchises happened gradually over time, meaning players were never fully prepared for this level of constant exposure from the beginning of the IPL. “But 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 were ready for from day one,” he added. Kohli also recalled a recent interaction with Kane Williamson during RCB’s IPL 2026 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants, where even a private conversation became difficult because of cameras and the IPL’s roaming Champak robot. “I was talking to Kane the other day, and there’s that robot thing just waving at me. And I am like, ‘Why is this thing waving at me?’ I’m talking to Kane about something so serious. First, I ignored the dog, and then I told the man controlling it, please take him away. Let me talk in peace. Kane’s my friend. I can’t have a conversation with him without it becoming a ‘moment’,” said Kohli. Despite his concerns away from the field, Kohli has enjoyed another outstanding IPL campaign with the bat. The RCB talisman recently smashed his ninth IPL century against Kolkata Knight Riders and has so far scored 484 runs in 12 matches this season at an average of 53.78 and a strike rate of 165.75.
