Last updated: March 16, 2025

‘You Can’t Have That…’: Virat Kohli Slams Broadcasters, Says Focus Should Be on Cricket, Not His Food

He felt that this kind of content doesn’t belong in cricket match coverage.

Virat Kohli said he wasn’t happy when TV broadcasters talked about his favourite place to eat chole bhature in Delhi.

Speaking at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit on Saturday, March 15, he said that their job is to talk about cricket, not about his food choices.

During his return to the Ranji Trophy in 2025, Virat Kohli’s lunch order of chilli paneer caught public attention and went viral. At the event, Kohli addressed the issue, urging broadcasters to focus more on the game itself rather than bringing up his food during live coverage.

A similar incident took place in 2023 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. On the second day of the Test, Kohli’s lunch became a talking point, with cameras frequently showing him eating. The situation escalated to the extent that Rahul Dravid had to step in and comment on the meal choices.

Virat Kohli Shares Vision for a Sports-Driven India

Kohli talked about the efforts being made to turn India into a country that prioritises sports. He mentioned that the vision is already in place and the necessary groundwork is happening right now. According to him, it’s a shared responsibility for everyone involved, not just those building facilities or investing money. He also pointed out that the fans and viewers play an important role in this journey. Kohli emphasised the need for education to help develop a stronger sports culture in the country.

“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,” Kohli said at the Sports Summit.

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Urges Broadcasters to Stick to Cricket

Kohli stressed that a broadcast should focus on the game itself, not on personal details like what he had for lunch or where he likes to eat chole bhature in Delhi. He felt that this kind of content doesn’t belong in cricket match coverage. Instead, he suggested it would be more meaningful to discuss what an athlete is experiencing or going through during the game.

“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.

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