Virat Kohli Demands BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia. Image Credits: AFP
RCB star Virat Kohli has made an unusual request to the BCCI amid the ongoing issue of privacy in the IPL 2026 season. However, his demand could lead to a heavy loss in the tournament.
The IPL is one of the biggest events in India that spans across two months in the summer. Fans are glued to their televisions, trying to catch every little glimpse of their favourite players and teams. However, this constant limelight has now given rise to privacy issues.
Virat Kohli frustrated with constant camera presence in the IPL
Meanwhile, during a recent podcast with RCB, Virat Kohli said that he is frustrated with the constant presence of cameras around cricketers during the IPL, saying players no longer get enough privacy even during practice sessions or personal conversations.
“Like social media is a huge part of the commercial representation or the fan engagement for any team, which is understandable. 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," Kohli said.
Kohli said modern cricket has become too heavily focused on content creation, fan engagement, and social media coverage. While he understands the commercial side of the IPL, he feels there should be clearer boundaries.
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According to Virat Kohli, players are now filmed almost immediately after arriving at training grounds, making it difficult to prepare naturally or experiment during practice without outside judgement.
"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 urged the BCCI to rethink privacy policies
Further in the interview, Virat Kohli said that every movement in the nets quickly becomes a talking point online, which affects how freely players can train.
He feels cricketers should only be judged for what they do during matches, not for drills or experiments attempted during preparation.
“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. 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."
Lastly, Virat Kohli made an honest request to the BCCI to rethink the whole issue and fix it to ensure players’ privacy are protected.
"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."
IPL 2026 earlier faced the consequence of excessive coverage
That being said, Virat Kohli’s concern is not invalid. In the ongoing IPL 2026 season alone, there have been cases where cameras have captured some uncomfortable moments.
For instance, RR captain Riyan Parag was caught vapid inside the dressing room, and the entire visual was captured by on-field cameras. The video quickly went viral on social media.
After heavy backlash, the BCCI stepped in and fined Parag heavily for his unprofessional conduct. With such instances on the rise, Virat Kohli has taken a firm stand on it, which might force the BCCI to spring into action soon.
But it won't be easy at all. BCCI generates crores in revenue through broadcasters. Hence, curbing them could lead to heavy losses.
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