Kohli appalled by ‘invasion of privacy’ at T20 World Cup after hotel room filmed
India’s Virat Kohli said he was the victim of an “absolute invasion of privacy” after individuals entered his hotel room in Perth and posted video of his clothes and belongings on social media on Monday.
The former India captain said he was appalled by the actions of the “fans” and called for his privacy to be respected.
“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,” said Kohli.
“But this video here is appalling and it’s made me feel very paranoid about my privacy. If I cannot have privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all? I’m not OK with this kind of fanaticism and absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and not treat them as a commodity for entertainment.“
A hotel official stated: “We are aware of an incident involving a contractor and the privacy of a guest at Crown Perth. The safety and privacy of our guests is our No 1 priority, and we are incredibly disappointed this incident has occurred.”
“We unreservedly apologise to the guest involved and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure this remains an isolated incident. We have zero tolerance for this behaviour, and it falls well below the standards we set for our team members and contractors,” they said.
“Crown took immediate steps to rectify the issue, including launching an investigation, standing down the individuals involved and removing them from the Crown account. The original video was also swiftly removed from the social media platform. We are also cooperating with the Indian Cricket team and the International Cricket Council to convey our apologies and will continue to work with them as we progress our investigation.”
Australian batter David Warner said the video – which shows Kohli’s bags,
closet, bathroom and clothes – was “ridiculous” and “totally unacceptable”.
India were beaten by South Africa in their Super 12 match at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.