In the previous decade,social media has impacted the socio and economic activities of human life. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram are user-friendly and allow people to be connected. For celebrities from various fields ranging from Hollywood to Bollywood, it acts as a user interface where they interact with their fans or followers directly irrespective of their place or status. Athletes and actors use Instagram as a tool of influence. They advertise the products to their followers through their posts or tweets. The craze towards cricket in India is a factor in having more followers on their social media pages. So here are the top 10 cricketers with the most Instagram followers:
10. Shikhar Dhawan (8.7 Million)
Shikhar Dhawan (35) holds the 10th position in this list with 87lakh followers on Instagram. A promising opener born in Delhi,whose international debut was against Aussies in Oct 2010 at Visakhapatnam. He is famously known for his entertaining behavior at the field and his mustache, which earned his pet name “GABBAR.” Recently he was selected as Indian Captain for the tour against Sri Lanka in which he led the young Indian players and won the ODI trophy for India with his excellent captaincy.
9. KL Rahul (10.4 Million)
Kannur Lokesh Rahul (29), a charming young Indian wicket-keeper batsman from Karnataka, holds the 9th position in this list with 104lakh followers on Instagram.KL made his international debut in 2014 against Australia, scoring a ton in his second Test match.He was only the third Indian to score a century in all three formats of the game. KL impressed the selectors with his batting and keeping skills. His experience and ability earned him the opportunity to lead the Punjab Kings franchise in IPL. He made a shout-out for Puma through his Instagram page.
8. Yuvraj Singh (11.4 Million)
Yuvraj Singh (39), a former Indian all-rounder with an outstanding international career, holds the 8th position. He is best known for his six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad in a match against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Eventhough he vomited several times in a game against Windies, he registered his maiden World Cup century scoring 113 at Chennai in 2011, which showed his patriotism and love towards the game.He makes promotions for Puma products.
7. AB De Villiers (14.8 Million)
The only non-Indian in this list is former South African wicket-keeper, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (37). Famously known for his distinct shot selection, “Mr.360” can hit the ball out of the ground in all directions. He was best known for his fastest 31 balls century against West Indies in 2015.ABD retired from international cricket in May 2018, which shocked cricket fans all over the world.
6. Suresh Raina (16.9 Million)
Suresh Raina (34), called“Chinna Thala,” was a former Indian all-rounder who had an excellent international and domestic career. A handsome cricketer born in Uttar Pradesh made his international debut against Sri Lanka in July 2005. He is the leading run-scorer for CSK and 3rd leading run scorer in IPL. He is very interactive on his Instagram pages, where he posts photos and videos of his training sessions and friends and families. He also often comes live on his Instagram page to interact with his fans. He also owns a website in his name.
5. Hardik Pandya (19 Million)
Hardik Himanshu Pandya (27), a young Indian all-rounder, holds the 5th position in this list with 19 Million followers on Instagram. Commonly known by his nickname “Kung Fu Pandya,” he hails from Gujarat is another product of Mumbai Indians who impressed cricket fans worldwide with his aggression and excellent finishing style. He is an ambassador of Boat Nirvana and makes promotion posts for the same.He is a perfect replacement for MSD.
4. Rohit Sharma (19.8 Million)
Rohit Sharma (34), a talented player for India for the past seven years, holds the 4th position in this list. Born in Nagpur, Rohit has been an excellent replacement of Virender Sehwag, who was an aggressive batsman,after his retirement. Commonly referred to as “Hitman,” Rohit is the only player to hit three double centuries in ODI. He is captaining Mumbai Indians for many years and has earned 5 IPL trophies to the franchise. He has a long career ahead. He posts photos with his wife and daughter.
3. Sachin Tendulkar (30.4 Million)
Sachin Tendulkar (48), the G.O.A.T of the game, holds the 3rd position on this list. He has played 463 ODI matches scoring 18,426 runs and 200 test matches, scoring 15,921 runs. Sachin scored hundred centuries in international cricket. He makesadvertisements for many products like Boost,Pepsi,Reynolds, etc. His son Arjun Tendulkar is also a fast bowler picked by Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021 auction.
2. MS Dhoni (34.4 Million)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (40),the greatest wicket-keeper batsman who led the Indian team to success on many occasions, holds the 2nd position. The former Indian cricket team captain, commonly known as “Thala,” was the only captain to conquer all the 3 ICC trophies. He is leading the CSK franchise for the past 13 years, and successfully, the team reached playoffs in all the seasons except 2020. He is best known for his helicopter shot and finishing style with a six like the 2011 World Cup final. He posts pictures of his farm and his very own only daughter Ziva Singh Dhoni.
1. Virat Kohli (139 Million)
Virat Kohli (32), the Indian skipper and the run machine, holds the 1st spot in this list. He is the only cricketer with more than 100 million followers on Instagram. The handsome young cricketer scored 70 centuries for India and he can break the record of Sachin’s 100 centuries before his career gets over. He is married to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. The couple initiated fundraising for the Covid patients through the Ketto organization which collected INR 11,39,11,820 within a week.
