'Talk About The Game And Not What I Ate Yesterday' - Virat Kohli Delivers Straightforward Message to Broadcasters

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Star India batter Virat Kohli had a straightforward message to the modern day sports broadcasters, saying their job is to talk about the game rather than highlighting an athlete's lunch or dinner menu.

The broadcast standards have fallen low these days with lack of analysis as broadcasters focus more on off beat coverage, which not many cricket fans would enjoy, leaving them with no option than to switch the channel.

Apart from the broadcasters, the media also indulge into such subjects. As one of the big stars in the current day, the focus is high on Kohli, but the star Indian batter is unhappy with the broadcasters discussing his favourite chhole-bhature place in Delhi instead of the game.

In the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli's lunch order was the prime focus on Day 2 of the Test against Australia with the broadcaster constantly showing what the Indian batter was eating during the match.

Even as recently as last year, on his return to the Ranji Trophy, Kohli's lunch order of chilli paneer went viral with most media outlets also carrying the same news. Unhappy with this, the 36-year-old had a message to the broadcaster.

"We are working towards India becoming a sports-forward nation. We have the vision. We have the groundwork happening today. It should be a collective responsibility of everyone involved. It's not just about the infrastructure or the people who infuse the money. It's also about the people who watch. We need education," Virat Kohli said at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit.

"A broadcast show needs to talk about the game and not what I ate yesterday for lunch or my favourite chhole-bhature place in Delhi. You can't have that in cricket matches. Rather, you could talk about what an athlete is going through," he added.

Kohli, who was part of the Champions Trophy-winning Indian squad, will next be in action at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who open their campaign in tournament-opener against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on Saturday (March 22).