Indian cricket team captain and Mumbai Indians star batsman Rohit Sharma has accused the media powerhouse Star Sports of violating his privacy. This is a serious issue and should be addressed because it reflects a broader decline in sports coverage by Indian sports media over the past 6-8 years.

These channels have seemingly become PR agencies, more concerned with promoting a certain narrative than showing genuine support for the sport.

The days of insightful commentary and informative match coverage are fading. Now, the focus seems to be on creating sensational headlines and generating “TRP” (Television Rating Points) in Hindi, or “masala” as it’s commonly called.

This often involves intruding on players’ private lives, running paid social media campaigns to manipulate public opinion, and using fabricated visuals to create a specific image of a player.

Genuine fans owe Rohit Sharma their thanks for speaking out against this trend. It’s detrimental to cricket’s future. The relationship between cricketers, fans, and the sport itself will suffer if channels like Star Sports continue down this path.

Fans used to have the freedom to choose their idols without media pressure. There was a sense of equality among cricketers. Highlights weren’t used to inflate egos or portray certain players as “saviors” or “gods” of Indian cricket. Star Sports, however, has been pushing this agenda for a long time. Let’s delve into five reasons why Star Sports is damaging the image of cricket.

1) Commentry Bias is Habit of Star Sports

During the World Cup matches, despite Rohit Sharma being the captain of the Indian cricket team, Star Sports continuously used Virat Kohli’s image on team posters. The same goes for RCB. Even after he stepped down as captain, Star Sports continued to use posters of Virat Kohli.

When it comes to commentary, there’s less and less conversation about the actual cricket or the ongoing match. Instead, it focuses more on specific players.

Many Star Sports commentators seem to be Virat Kohli fans. It’s frustrating to watch them praising a single player and showering him with all the credit while every other member of the team plays a crucial role. We don’t need to look far for an example. During the Bengaluru vs Chennai match at Chinnaswamy, Virat Kohli made 49 runs.

However, captain Faf du Plessis scored a half-century, took a brilliant catch, and Cameron Green scored crucial runs in the last few overs while bowling economically (9 runs per over). Who was on the posters? Who was being talked about? It was only Virat Kohli. This is the state of commentary on Star Sports – it’s all about Virat Kohli.

2) Repetitive Content

There’s nothing new for established sports channels like Star Sports. If you compare it to Fox Sports in Australia or Channel 9, they have a wider variety of content. You’ll see former players hosting shows and offering insightful commentary, sometimes including friendly criticism. 

However, Star Sports can be repetitive. For example, if they run a story on Virat Kohli (“King Kohli”), you might see the same content replayed throughout the week, even throughout the month – potentially five times a day. This includes repetitive highlights.

Another issue is the focus on Indian victories. Unlike channels in other countries, Star Sports might not always show highlights from matches where India loses.

3) Star Sports Ignores Local Cricket

How often do you see interviews or content about players in the Ranji Trophy, the local league that grooms future Indian stars? Almost never. Star Sports only focuses on content that generates views. They seem less interested in the development of Indian cricket and more in grabbing attention. Honestly, who cares about local players if they won’t bring in views? 

You’ll never see content about a Tamil cricketer who worked his way up through the ranks with dedication and education. You won’t hear about his life, experiences, or growth as a player. This kind of content simply doesn’t find a place on Star Sports because they’re too busy promoting and showing content that appeals only to hardcore fans. 

3) Ineligible Marketers Become Commentators

Jatin Sapru, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, and Irfan Pathan all have the qualities and ability to be an actor in C grade bollywood movies but not of doing cricket commentary, not necessarily. Technical knowledge and a lack of ego are crucial for good commentary.

In the commentary box, some get carried away with poetry, criticizing other teams, or reminiscing about their playing days. Truly good commentators, however, stay focused on the ongoing match, analyzing it and offering insights, not political or viral aspects that distract from the actual game.

5) Sports on Star Sports: More Than Just Cricket?

Statistics show that over 65% of content shared on Star Sports is related to cricket. India is a vast country with a diverse sporting landscape. In every corner, there are games happening at all levels and in all types of sports, with young and old participants alike. However, you rarely see these sports covered on Star Sports.

This is because they are not as viral or considered “important” content. By focusing primarily on cricket, Star Sports arguably fails to promote the wider world of sports in India.