The official television broadcaster of IPL 2024, Star Sports, issued a clarification following Rohit Sharma's claim of a privacy breach in a strongly-worded social media statement. The broadcaster stated that it respects players' privacy and denied recording any audio from a conversation between the former MI captain and his friends along the boundary line before a game at the Wankhede Stadium on May 16.
Star Sports' statement came in response to Rohit Sharma's concern that broadcasting private conversations between players could lead to a breakdown of trust between "fans, cricketers, and cricket." Rohit mentioned that he had asked Star Sports not to record audio of such pre-game conversations but did not specify which particular conversation he was referring to.
"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," Star Sports said in a statement.
"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 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," it added.
Rohit's antics caught on camera have been one of the very consistent elements of both his time with his IPL franchise, MI, and also his national side, which is not always taken on a brighter note by the India captain. Notably, a friendly pre-game chat between Rohit Sharma and KKR's batting coach Abhishek Nayar went viral on social media, leading to speculation about his future with MI. The Knight Riders deleted the video after it was widely shared on social media.
This was only stretched further when a viral video showed Rohit requesting with folded hands to the broadcasting team to not record his audio from personal conversations with other players and coaches ahead of MI's final game of the season against LSG on May 17.
