Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli regained access to his verified Instagram account on Friday morning after it became briefly inaccessible, triggering widespread confusion and online chatter among fans.
The issue surfaced late on Thursday when users trying to view his profile saw a message stating that the page was unavailable.
With nearly 274 million followers, Kohli ranks among the most followed athletes globally, making the sudden unavailability of his account particularly noticeable. The brief disruption led many fans to question whether the profile had been deleted, deactivated or temporarily restricted.
The incident quickly gained traction across social media platforms, with discussions and hashtags linked to Kohli trending within minutes.
Supporters shared screenshots and debated possible reasons behind the outage, ranging from a technical error on Instagram’s side to a deliberate social media break by the cricketer.
Some users even speculated about a potential security breach, although no evidence emerged to substantiate such claims. Neither Instagram nor Kohli has issued an official clarification regarding the cause of the disruption.
Kohli’s strong digital presence has long made Instagram a primary channel for connecting with fans. His posts typically combine match-related updates, fitness insights, commercial partnerships and glimpses into his personal life, further amplifying interest when the account briefly vanished.
Records Continue to Fall on the Field
The social media episode coincided with another successful phase in Kohli’s cricketing career.
Earlier this month, he climbed back to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings following a commanding 124-run innings against New Zealand, which marked his 54th century in the format. He later dropped to second place after New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell overtook him.
Kohli has also rewritten history against New Zealand in one-day internationals. In 35 ODIs against the Kiwis, he has scored 1,773 runs at an average of 55.4, including six centuries and 10 half-centuries. In the process, he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 1,750 runs against the same opposition.
With his Instagram profile now fully accessible again, the brief episode of speculation has subsided, much to the relief of Kohli’s vast online following.
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
