Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli commands a massive following on social media, boasting the 13th position among the most followed celebrities on Instagram with an impressive 265 million followers, according to Statista. While football luminaries Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi lead the global charts with 616 million and 496 million followers, respectively, Kohli proudly holds the title of the most followed Indian on the platform.
Despite his immense popularity, there are corners of the world where Virat Kohli’s recognition isn’t universal. In a recent conversation with YouTuber Darren Jason Watkins Jr, known as IShowSpeed, the Brazilian football legend Ronaldo was questioned about his thoughts on Kohli. This incident sheds light on the intriguing aspect that, despite Kohli’s extensive social media presence, there remain pockets where the Indian cricket talisman is not readily recognized.
Here’s how that conversation went:
Speed: “Do you know Virat Kohli?”
Ronaldo: “Who?”
Speed: “Virat Kohli, from India.”
Ronaldo: “No.”
Speed: “You don’t know Virat Kohli!”
Ronaldo: “What is he? A player?”
Speed: “He is a cricket player.”
Ronaldo: “He is not very popular in here.”
Speed: “Yeah, yeah. He is like the best. He’s better than Babar Azam. You have never seen this dude?” (pointing to Kohli’s photo)
Ronaldo: “Yeah, of course I have seen him.”
Virat Kohli was absent from the first T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday due to personal reasons, but the cricket stalwart is set to return to the Indian team for the second T20I scheduled on Sunday.
This match marks Kohli’s comeback to the T20I format for the Indian team after a hiatus since India’s semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup in 2022. The captain’s return is part of his concerted effort to secure a spot in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to take place in the USA and West Indies in June this year.
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