IPL 2024: Star Sports refutes allegations of broadcasting private dialogue featuring Rohit Sharma during IPL telecast

Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)

IPL 2024 broadcaster Star Sports on Monday denied airing the audio of any personal conversation involving Rohit Sharma after the Indian captain accused the channel of "breaching" his privacy despite his requests to stop the recording. Following the matter, former Mumbai Indians' captain Rohit Sharma tweeted, "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". Taking to X:

However, the channel denied the charge in an official statement.

"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," the channel stated.

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The video in which Rohit Sharma was seen having conversations with Abhishek Nayar leading the speculation about his future with the Mumbai-based franchise was posted by Kolkata Knight Riders' official social media handles. Later, following the controversy the video was taken down by KKR.

"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," Rohit said on Sunday.

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The channel said it was committed to protecting players' privacy.

"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 stated.

Later, on May 16 during the training session at the Wankhede Stadium, ahead of the IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants, Rohit was seen having a conversation with Dhawal Kulkarni which was recorded by Star Sports.