Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently opened up about the immense pressures faced by contemporary Indian cricketers. He highlighted how these national stars live under constant public scrutiny, enjoying very little personal privacy. Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Shastri drew parallels between cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli, and current talents such as Shubman Gill, noting that all are treated as ‘public property’ due to their immense fame and fan dedication.
Image: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma representing Team India.
Adam Peacock, during the podcast, posed a crucial question to Shastri: “You’ve seen generations of this — Sachin, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and the modern guys as well. I dare say that Shubman Gill is heading down this same path, where their cricket life is their cricket life — we see that. But their life outside of it is so constricted, because what can they do? Where can they get privacy? How do these guys live normal lives?”
Shastri elaborated that Indian players face significant challenges living ordinary lives back home because of this ceaseless public attention. “They don’t. They can’t — because they’re public property,” he stated, explaining why players often perform better overseas. “That’s why you see them at their best at times overseas, because they can walk on the streets in Australia. Even there they’ll be hassled, but not to the extent of what they go through in India,” he concluded.
He shared anecdotes of how even cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni devised strategies to find moments of peace. “Sachin would drive his cars after midnight just to get out, because during the day, at every traffic light, he’d be stopped,” Shastri revealed. “And the same with MS — he’ll get on his bike and head out where he wants to go. But it’s not easy, especially in this day and age,” he emphasized.
Shastri, now 63, underscored how social media has dramatically exacerbated this privacy issue for contemporary athletes. He noted, “The spotlight on players is much more than in our era because of all the social media. You get your phone straight out, start taking videos or photos — there’s no privacy. You’re public property, period.”
While Shastri has previously praised Virat Kohli’s exceptional work ethic and fitness, attributing it to the team’s collective evolution, he candidly acknowledged that the immense burden of fame remains a paramount challenge for any Indian cricketer today.