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 surveillance during training sessions has become uncomfortable and distracting. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru star said players should be able to prepare in peace without their every move being recorded and analyzed on social media.One of the most watched cricketers in the world, Kohli remains under constant scrutiny on and off the field. From training drills to casual interactions, almost every moment of the former Indian 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 a balance needs to be struck.Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli explained how difficult it is to focus freely on improving his game when multiple cameras are watching every activity during training.“You go to training and you have six cameras behind you. It’s not a comfortable feeling at all. As an athlete, you need the ability and the freedom to work on your game in peace. If everything you do is an opportunity to film, screen or dissect, then you’re not organic,” Kohli said.The 37-year-old added that players often experiment with techniques or methods during training, but the fear of these moments becoming public changes the way they train.“I won’t be able to try to do things in training that I really want to do, because tomorrow I know if someone will film it and they will discuss my training. You judge me by my performance during the match, not during the opening match. Nobody has the right to judge me for what I do in terms of preparation, the things I try in the nets,” he added.Kohli further said that while social media has become a major part of the IPL ecosystem and the team’s brand, there needs to be clearer boundaries around player consent and behind-the-scenes access.“I just feel he needs to be a bit more efficient in terms of understanding how much to do, when to do, whether the player is OK when he’s being filmed all the time. Things like that really need to be taken into account because there’s too much going on. I love the pressure of the game, but honestly I don’t like the pressure of anything else. Like social media, it’s a huge part of commercial representation or fan engagement,” Kohli said.The batting great also pointed out that the explosion of official fan pages and social media content around franchises has happened gradually over time, meaning players were never fully prepared for this level of constant exposure since the start of the IPL.“But I really feel that there needs to be a bit more simplification because if you look at the growth of official fan clubs or official fan pages of teams, it’s been a long time since the IPL was in the game. So it’s not something that people were prepared for from day one,” he added.Kohli also recalled a recent interaction with Kane Williamson during RCB’s IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants, where even a private conversation became difficult due to the cameras and the roaming Champak IPL bot.“One time I was talking to Kane and the robot was just waving at me. And I’m like, ‘Why is this thing waving at me?’ I’m talking to Kane about something so serious. At first I ignored the dog and then told the man handling it to please take it away. Let me talk in peace. Kane is my friend. I can’t talk to him without it becoming a ‘moment’,” Kohli said.
Do you think cricketers should have the right to practice without being filmed?
Despite his fielding concerns, Kohli has enjoyed another excellent 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.
