A controversy involving media access and player privacy has erupted in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma accused broadcaster Star Sports of airing a private conversation.
The incident began with a leaked video showing Sharma discussing his future with Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nair. Another video then surfaced online featuring Sharma requesting a Star Sports cameraperson to turn off the audio during a conversation with teammate Dhawal Kulkarni. However, the audio was later aired by the channel.
Star Sports denied airing a "personal conversation," but the incident has sparked a debate on the balance between content creation and player privacy. England fast bowler Jofra Archer, Sharma's former teammate at Mumbai Indians, publicly supported Sharma by sharing his social media post. Archer shared a screenshot of Rohit Sharma’s post on privacy on Instagram.
Sharma took to social media to express his frustration, stating that the constant recording creates an "intrusive" environment. He accused Star Sports of violating his privacy by airing the conversation despite his request.
“The lives of cricketers have become so intrusive that cameras are now recording every step and conversation we are having in privacy with our friends and colleagues, at training or on match days,” Rohit earlier wrote on Twitter X.
“Despite asking Star Sports to not record my conversation, it was and was also then played on air, which is a breach of privacy. The need to get exclusive content and focused only on views and engagement will one day break the trust between the fans, cricketers and cricket. Let better sense prevail'', he further added.
''A clip involving a senior Indian player and his post on social media have gained prominence since yesterday. The clip, taken during a training session on May 16 at Wankhede stadium, for which Star Sports had authorised access, momentarily showed the senior player in conversation with his friends on the sidelines. No audio from this conversation was either recorded or broadcast. The clip, which only showed the senior player requesting for the audio of his conversation to not be recorded, got featured in Star Sports’ live coverage of pre-match preparations and lacked editorial relevance beyond this'', Star Sports said.
''Star Sports has always adhered to the highest standards of professional conduct while broadcasting cricket all over the world. Respect for players’ privacy while bringing fans, moments of intense action and preparations, sits at the core of this ethos, which the broadcaster remains committed to'', the channel further added.
