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What's wrong with Virat Kohli's Instagram? Puzzled fans flood Anushka Sharma's comments; ‘Cheeku kaha gaya?’

Virat Kohli's Instagram profile was not visible to thousands of his fans. Many of them, puzzled, speculated if he had deactivated his account 

Published on: Jan 30, 2026, 02:36:56 IST
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Virat Kohli has left his millions of fans puzzled. The 37-year-old's Instagram account suddenly vanished in the early hours of Friday, with several speculating if he deactivated it following India's ODI series against New Zealand. Some fans even wrote to the star No 3's wife, Anushka Sharma, in her comment section, playfully asking: ‘Cheeku kaha gaya?’

Virat Kohli reacts as he runs between the wickets during the third ODI vs New Zealand (AFP)
Virat Kohli reacts as he runs between the wickets during the third ODI vs New Zealand (AFP)

Kohli's Instagram profile was not visible at the time of writing this story. “The link may be broken, or the profile may have been removed,” the message on the platform read. Neither the cricketer nor his team has issued a statement yet.

Read More: Virat Kohli’s return to Test cricket: A nonsensical move that risks damaging his legacy and what he has left to give

Virat Kohli has over 274 million followers on Instagram and ranks amongst the most popular sportspersons on the Meta platform - behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It is unclear why his Instagram account is no longer visible, whether it was deactivated or deleted.

Kohli's fans react

“Virat kohli has deactivated his Instagram Account 💀💀💀💔” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Some fans also claimed that the RCB superstar's brother, Vikas Kohli, has also deactivated his Instagram account.

“Virat Kohli's brother Vikash Kohli has also deactivated his Instagram account. What the hell is happening???” another user asked.

“Virat Kohli deactivated his Instagram account?? Wo bhi Arijit Singh ke retirement ke baad??” a third fan tweeted.

Anushka Sharma's comment section flooded

Meanwhile, some fans posted messages on Anushka Sharma's comment section. “Cheeku kaha gya????” one person asked.

Read More: R Ashwin ‘spoke to’ Virat Kohli after being accused of ‘indirect attack’: ‘Thanks for giving us a reason to bond’

“Bhaabhi bhaiya ka account kaha gya??????😍” another fan added.

Yo-yo test controversy

Back in 2023, Kohli's social media post reportedly irked some of the BCCI's top bosses. The 37-year-old had shared his fitness test score just days before the Asia Cup, a 17.2.

“The happiness of finishing the yo-yo test between the dreaded cones. 17.2 done,” he wrote along with a photo of himself. However, as per reports, the Indian team management then asked players not to post their yo-yo scores on social media. The directive came from BCCI's top bosses, The Indian Express reported.

“Players have been informed verbally to avoid posting any confidential matter on social media platforms. They can post pictures while training but posting a score leads to breach of contract clause,” a BCCI official reportedly said.

‘Social media taking energy’

Only last year, Kohli spoke about social media. During the RCB Innovation Lab's Indian Sports Summit, he said: “The kind of attention you get and the kind of traction you receive when you put something out there on a platform is quite unbelievable to be honest. It’s quite intense. Luckily, I was born in a time when I didn’t work with this thing [my phone] in my pocket."

“So for me to just keep it on the side is pretty easy. Hence I don’t engage in posts a lot these days. A lot of people are not happy about that but that’s something that I’ve consciously tried to do."

“Because as I said, to keep up with that stream was just way too much. I just physically felt like it was taking a lot of my energy away from me which I would absolutely apply to my game, to my life, people around me. And I didn’t want to waste any of that.”

  • Yash Nitish Bajaj
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Yash Nitish Bajaj

    Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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