Indian cricket great Virat Kohli is often considered one of the most influential names among sports personalities. Kohli, who has received massive love and acceptance on social media platforms, has now set a new milestone in the virtual world of the web.
India’s poster boy, Virat Kohli celebrated his 37th birthday in November last year as he has become one of the most recognized athletes in the world. With a reported net worth of around Rs 1050 crore, the former Indian captain has extended his aura beyond the cricket field as well.
Apart from the money he receives from BCCI contracts and IPL paychecks from RCB, he also makes a huge amount of money from Instagram and X posts and brand endorsements as well as luxury real estate investments. In the last few years, along with his money, his social stature has also increased.
37-year-old Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has now partially retired from the game. He has bid farewell to his career in the longest and shortest formats of the game and continues to play only one-day cricket for India.
Virat’s fan following was clearly seen when the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is played every year in India, came into limelight when Kohli returned to the tournament after a gap of 15 years.
Extending his reach through social media platforms, Kohli has around 270 million followers and is one of the highest-paid athletes through endorsements. In 2026, she was ranked among the top 5 most influential personalities on Instagram.
Virat Kohli has been ranked fourth in this list, which is topped by global football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Actress and singer Selena Gomez and American businesswoman and media personality Kylie Jenner are also included in the top 5 list.
Top 5 Most Influential People in the World on Instagram [Hype Auditor]
1) Cristiano Ronaldo
2)Lionel Messi
3) Selena Gomez
4)Virat Kohli
5) Kylie Jenner pic.twitter.com/lxv0rdyGqb– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 16 January 2026
Virat Kohli reportedly earns huge sums of money through sponsored posts on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter). According to a recent report in Hindustan Times, Kohli is paid around Rs 12-12.5 crore per Instagram post.
He is currently one of the global stars as one of the top 15 highest paid athletes on Instagram. He is also known to earn around Rs 2.5 crore for each of his posts. Every big company is looking for endorsement from Indian stars.
Kohli’s stardom will continue with long IPL career
Kohli resumed international cricket in 2025 with a series in Australia and then returned to India to play against South Africa in a three-match ODI series, where he surprised everyone with his breathtaking performance by scoring two centuries and a half-century.
Kohli won the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 18th edition of the competition. Kohli, with the Royal Challengers, will defend the IPL title for the first time in 2026. He has shown no intention of retiring and will continue playing in the IPL in the coming years.
Also read: RCB spends ₹4.5 crore on AI monitoring to get control over Chinnaswamy after stampede
