Fans and supporters of Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli were left concerned when his official Instagram account became temporarily inaccessible for several hours, before resurfacing around 8:30 am on January 30. Although the account’s restoration eased worries, the brief disappearance quickly sparked widespread chatter on social media, with netizens speculating about the cause.
With more than 274 million followers, Kohli is the most-followed Indian personality on Instagram and the world’s most-followed cricketer. He follows just 283 accounts and has shared over 1,000 posts, which only amplified concern when his profile seemingly vanished without explanation.
“I’ve received in life, the news that has been making rounds about my social media earnings is not true.”
While I am grateful and indebted to all that I’ve received in life, the news that has been making rounds about my social media earnings is not true.
Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 12, 2023
The incident also reignited discussions around Kohli’s social media earnings. Various reports have quoted differing figures for his sponsored posts, with some suggesting amounts comparable to the annual net worth of many individuals. A Hindustan Times report claimed that Kohli charges ₹8.9 crore per Instagram post and ₹2.5 crore per post on X (formerly Twitter).
In contrast, the 2023 Hopper HQ ranking estimated that he could earn as much as ₹14 crore for a single Instagram post, while other online speculations placed the figure closer to ₹12 crore. Kohli, however, addressed these claims back in 2023, firmly dismissing them through a post on X, where he stated, “While I am grateful and indebted to all that I’ve received in life, the news that has been making rounds about my social media earnings is not true.”
On the cricketing front, following a strong showing in the recently concluded home ODI series against New Zealand, Kohli is currently enjoying time with his family. He is expected to return to competitive action in IPL 2026 this summer.