Virat Kohli Finds Himself Among the Most Influential Persons on Instagram List Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner

Following Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar is the next most influential cricketer on Instagram, boasting a massive following of over 51 million.

Virat Kohli Finds Himself Among the Most Influential Persons on Instagram List Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner

Virat Kohli ranks among the most influential persons on Instagram, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner and others. (via Instagram)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Not just on the field, but Virat Kohli is incredibly popular off the field as well. The Indian cricketing great was named one of Instagram’s most influential people, joining a list primarily composed of global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylie Jenner. 

One of the finest cricketers of all time, Virat Kohli remains the most-searched star on Google in the history of the sport. Kohli has been the heartthrob of fans over the years, while also establishing himself as a record-breaker across all three formats of international cricket. He holds the record for the most hundreds in ODIs, and is the all-time second-highest run-getter in international cricket (with 28,091 runs).

Kohli’s appeal is also driven by his achievements in the IPL. Having played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru since 2008, he boasts an impressive record of 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike-rate of 132.85, which includes eight centuries and 63 half-centuries. Kohli’s captaincy stats add to his immense popularity, given he is one of the most successful Test captains of all time with three consecutive ICC Test Mace wins. 

The 37-year-old’s influence extends far beyond cricket, making him one of the world’s most commercially viable athletes. With an estimated net worth exceeding INR 1,000 crores ($110-120 million), Virat Kohli is considered the richest cricketer of all time.

His immense popularity is also evident on social media, where his massive Instagram following of over 274 million makes him the third most-followed athlete globally, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and the most followed Asian on the platform.

Such is Kohli’s social media influence that the ex-India captain has surpassed global sporting figures like LeBron James and Tiger Woods on the list of most influential people on Instagram. He is ranked only behind Portuguese and Al-Nassr footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (670 million followers), Argentine Lionel Messi (511 million followers), American singer Selena Gomez (416 million followers), and US media personality Kylie Jenner (391 million followers).

Meanwhile, Kohli’s social media influence also translates into massive earnings, as he reportedly charges around INR 14 crore ($1.5 million) for every commercial post. His Instagram post celebrating India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory became one of the most-liked posts with 22.8 million likes.

Babar Azam weighs in on Virat Kohli’s legacy in a surprising comparison among the Fab Four

Former Pakistani captain Babar Azam recently ranked the ‘Fab Four’ of contemporary cricket based on their career achievements. This elite group of batsmen features India’s Virat Kohli, England’s Joe Root, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, and Australia’s Steve Smith.

Babar Azam on Virat Kohli
Babar Azam ranked Virat Kohli and the other ‘Fab Four’ icons based on their achievements. (via NDTV Sports)

Despite the on-and off-field rivalry between India and Pakistan, the players do share a strong bond and mutual respect for one another’s talents. Although often seen as a rival to Virat Kohli, Babar Azam holds great admiration for the Indian cricket star. Speaking to Code Sports, the 31-year-old proceeded to rank the ‘Fab Four’ batsmen across two separate criteria, Tests, and all international formats combined.

In Test cricket, Azam placed Australia’s Steve Smith at no.1, followed by England’s Joe Root at no.2, Kohli at no.3, and Kiwi star Kane Williamson at no.4. However, the Pakistani batter did concede that Kohli was superior across all three formats combined, attributing this to his sheer confidence. Consequently, in the all-format rankings, Azam ranked Kohli first, with Smith, Williamson, and Root following in that order.

Babar Azam also expressed his admiration for Steve Smith, with whom he has been opening the batting for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. So far, he has featured in nine BBL matches, scoring 201 runs at an average of 28.71 and a strike-rate of just 107.49. 

Also Read: