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Journalism of Courage
An Instagram video filmed by a fan aboard Team India’s flight to Singapore has gone viral, and the video has ignited a heated debate about where admiration ends and invasion of privacy begins.
The clip was uploaded by Instagram user Sai Sharma, who happened to be on the same flight as the Indian cricket team. In his video, players like Rohit Sharma and Arshdeep Singh can be seen settling into their seats. Sharma also shared a series of selfies with Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Arshdeep, calling it an unforgettable experience.
In his caption, he wrote, “Flew to Singapore with Team India, what an experience! All the players were humble, but here’s how it went:” He revealed that while he wanted to take a picture with KL Rahul, he decided against it because the cricketer seemed unwell. Sharma also said that Yashasvi Jaiswal turned down his request for a photo three times, something he said he completely understood, assuming the young batter was simply exhausted.
Praising the former Indian skipper, he said, “But the real legend – Rohit Sharma. So humble, took photos with everyone, even stopped for one with my dad. That’s what true leadership looks like.” Sharma also clarified, “The fact thing is I respect that players have the right to say no.”
However, once the post spread online, it sparked a conversation about fan behaviour and celebrity boundaries. Many users sided with the players, arguing that athletes deserve personal space, especially during travel or downtime. One commenter wrote, “Saying no to a selfie isn’t arrogance. It’s called having boundaries. Stop acting entitled.. no one owes you a photo.”
Another user defended Jaiswal’s reputation: “I have met Jaiswal during IPL he’s not arrogant at all, in fact he’s a very humble and sweet kid. Me and my friends were calling Sanju, we didn’t even call him but he was so sweet that he himself smiled and waved at all the fans and let us take videos. It’s okay , not every time they feel the same. They are on a tour they might have a heavy physical day , they might be tired, jet-lagged or anything else, you never know. They have every right to say NO that doesn’t make them arrogant or rude. Every day is not the same for any of us, not for them as well!.”
Some users took a sharper tone, with one saying, “One of the reasons Virat Kohli moved to the UK, to stop getting character certificates from random people on the internet.” Others, however, continued to criticise Jaiswal, with one comment reading, “Jaiswal is actually the worst player with behavioural issues. Nothing new.”
