By Razeen Gutta
India’s Virat Kohli has expressed disappointment after strangers recorded themselves walking through the cricketer’s hotel room in Perth, Australia.
Kohli, who returned to form to win T20 World Cup games against Pakistan and Netherlands for India, was left fuming as he shared the video on his Instagram. The video was titled “King Kohli’s Hotel Room” and showcased the cricketer’s personal belongings.
The 33-year-old said that he appreciates fans getting happy to meet their heroes, but added that he is “not okay” with this level of “fanaticism”.
“I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them and I’ve always appreciated that. But this video here is appalling and it’s made me feel very paranoid about my privacy,” he said on Instagram.
“If I cannot have privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all? I’m NOT okay with this kind of fanaticism and absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and not treat them as a commodity for entertainment,” he added.
Crown Perth, the hotel the Indian cricket team stayed at for their match against the Proteas, issued a statement apologising for the actions of their contractors and have confirmed that the employees responsible have now been sacked.
“We unreservedly apologise to the guest involved and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure this remains an isolated incident,” the statement read.
“The individuals involved have been stood down and removed from the Crown account.”
Image source: @imVkohli
