“Bro I’m genuinely scared now. There is absolutely nothing clicking in my brain about why both Virat and Vikas bhai deactivated their accounts. I hope everything is fine, praying,” an X account bearing
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s photo and name tweeted early morning on Friday. For the uninitiated, star batter from India, Kohli, “vanished” from Instagram reportedly by late January 29. Considered one of India’s most influential sportspersons, Kohli’s “deactivation” on Instagram left his fans curious and concerned.
The 37-year-old has finally returned to Instagram after a few tense hours, but his name is still at the top of the country’s trends charts.
Virat Kohli ‘Deactivates’
A plethora of Kohli fans discovered early Friday that their favourite batter’s account (@virat.kohli) had gone blank. There were no posts, no followers, no following when one searched Kohli’s username on Instagram. With no word from the cricketer or his family members, his disappearance understandably made news. Notably, Kohli is followed by over 274 million users on the Meta-owned social media platform.
(Instagram)
Kohli Fans Knock On Instagram’s Door
Growing restless by the minute, hundreds of worried Kohli fans assembled at the official Instagram account… on Instagram. Arriving at Instagram’s most recent post about Internet artist @emmaorhun (Emma Orhun), the cricketer’s fans began spamming the comments section and demanded answers directly from the source.
“Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli Virat Kohli,” one of many comments on Instagram’s post simply read.
(Instagram)
(Instagram)
(Instagram)
Anushka Sharma Spammed
Concerned Kohli fans also approached Bollywood actor and producer Anushka Sharma, Kohli’s better half, on Instagram after his account became unavailable.
“What happened to Virat’s insta,” asked one Instagram user.
“Ajke baad aisa mazak mat krna please bhaiya,” wrote another.
“Why virat why,” read a third.
Google Trends
With no answers in sight for Kohli’s mysterious disappearance, janta headed to Google to figure out what was up with the cricketer. It’s worth reminding that Kohli’s X account (@imVkohli) was intact during the Instagram fiasco.
A visible spike in Google Trends for the keyword ‘Virat Kohli’ was observed in the last few hours.
“Virat Kohli Instagram,” “Why did Kohli deactivate,” Virat Kohli Instagram ID,” were among the top queries in the country.
(Google Trends)
Memes
Of course, there were memes. Lots of them.
Virat Kohli's Instagram account pic.twitter.com/mVbpCwmbE2
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 30, 2026
Nah man 😭 pic.twitter.com/W1RCUHCZPm
— v. (@183innings2012) January 29, 2026
Virat Kohli’s Instagram is back. pic.twitter.com/OgTZQn6j78
— Qasim Husain 🇮🇳 (@qasim_says_) January 30, 2026
Another Brand Promo Gimmick?
A section of Kohli fans were rather convinced that the celebrity cricketer’s social media team was gearing up for a “brand promotion” post drop and his account was “temporarily hidden” to create online buzz.
Virat kohli deactivated his instagram account
Intentionally or brand promotion gimmick? pic.twitter.com/F2EK9CVGou— Men’s Cricket (@MensCricket) January 29, 2026
This theory proved false, at least for now, as Kohli’s Instagram page had no uploads since his return on the platform on Friday morning.
Top Trend On X
It’s not every day that the biggest sports celebrity disappears from the face of Instagram, so when Kohli did so, even briefly, he became the top news on X among other platforms. Thousands of tweets were posted in a span of a few hours as “Virat Kohli” became the top trending keyword on the Elon Musk-owned platform.
(X)
Virat Kohli Returns
Kohli fans, after restlessly speculating for hours, finally breathed a sigh of relief as the cricketer’s Instagram account with 274 million followers finally came back online.
*Virat Kohli is back on Instagram*
Him to people doing retirement rumours : pic.twitter.com/KMl2bl3E2P
— UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) January 30, 2026
“Reactivated… kohli is going through mood swings,” remarked one X user.
Others hoped for Kohli’s return to the Tests in a similar fashion.
