- Shamser Khalid
6 Cricket Players with the Most Social Media Following
Social media can say a lot about a person, and these days, there are plenty of athletes that are open to sharing parts of their personal life on social media. When it comes to cricket players, some are open to sharing parts of their life and giving fans glimpses of different events. From weddings to parties, several cricket players have grown a huge social presence over the years. Some have more followers than most. These are some cricket players that have gained the most social media following:
Virat Kohli - 240M Instagram Followers and 55M Twitter Followers
Virat Kohli is one of the most famous people in the cricket community and his popularity certainly shows on social media. Among several cricket players, Kohli has by far one of the highest social media followers with over 240 million followers on Instagram and over 50 million fans on Twitter.
Kohli is a highly active figure in social media. Even when he is not posting, several other users share his game antics that quickly go viral. When Kohli does post, he is not shy to upload pictures and also promote different brands through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. According to some reports, Virat Kohli charges Rs. 8.69 crores for one sponsored post on Instagram.
As a player, Virat Kohli is known for holding several records for India and has made himself known as a formidable batter on the field.
MS Dhoni - 40M Instagram Followers
Another big name in the cricket community is MS Dhoni. Dhoni holds the distinction of being the sole captain to have lifted all three ICC titles and guided his team to the top spot in the ICC Test rankings. Just as he has grown popular during his time as a player, he has grown a large following in social media. On his Instagram, he has nearly 41 million followers while his Twitter has nearly 9 million followers.
While Dhoni does not feature brand deals and colorful posts when compared to other player accounts, he has his share of posts that’s gone viral. Even when playing on the field, there are videos shared about him that fans go crazy for.
Though, while brand deals are not as prominent, Dhoni does still capitalize on them. MS Dhoni charges Rs.1 to 5 Crore for each brand endorsement. Outside of this though, Dhoni wins many hearts with posts about his family.
Sachin Tendulkar - 39M Instagram Followers
Tendulkar may be retired from the field but he’s certainly active on social media. As a cricket legend, Sachin has plenty of followers on his social media. From his Instagram alone he has nearly 40 million followers. The same goes for his Twitter page. Tendulkar is always open to sharing what’s going on with his life on the personal life and there’s been plenty of times his posts went viral, such as the time he shared his term learning how to kayak while in Thailand and using cricket analogy.
Other times, he is applauded for all his accomplishments that are still recognized today and how he still has connections to cricket. Since retiring in 2013, Sachin has been capitalizing on his massive popularity with a brand value of $47.4 million.
When it comes to what he’s done as a player, the Indian great has scored 34,357 runs in international cricket. He is also the leading run-getter in both ODIs and Tests.
Rohit Sharma - 27M Instagram Followers and 21M Twitter Followers
Rohit Sharma is a cricket player that has shown skill in all formats and while he has not made as huge records compared to other players, he is still an admired figure in the cricket community. It is especially evident on his social media pages where he often shares glimpses into his personal life. All his social media platforms have over 20 million followers and he’s been known to share posts about moments with his family and teammates.
During his career, Sharma was India’s leading run-getter in the 2019 World Cup where he struck five hundred which is the most by any player in the history of World Cup cricket. When it comes to his connection with brands, Rohit Sharma holds a brand value of $32.2 million in 2022. Outside of his posts, he is often spotted in viral posts involving his team, such as when they celebrate together.
Hardik Pandya - 25M Instagram Followers
Hardik Pandya is considered one of many popular Indian players who rose to the ranks. However, his popularity expands beyond the field. As of March 2023, Hardik has become the youngest cricketer in the world to reach 25 million followers on Instagram.
While the player is often seen engaging fans on social media, a large portion of his social media presence stems from promoting brands. His portfolio consists of over 20 brands. These brands cover a range of niches including sports equipment, energy drinks, biscuits, casual apparel, shoes, denim, and shirts. Among various cricket players, Pandya remains one of the most sought-after celebrities in the endorsement landscape.
As a player, Hardik has shown his skills in the shorter forms of cricket and has been noted for his captaincy skills.
Suresh Raina - 22M Instagram Followers and 20M Twitter Followers
Suresh Raina is an Indian player that may not have made a big splash in terms of records but he certainly makes an impact on social media. He was a part of India’s white-ball set-up for a long time and consistently plays domestic cricket and also the IPL. While he retired in 2020, he still has plenty of admiration from fans on social media.
Raina may not be involved in the field but he is not shy in commending his former team’s accomplishments. He is also known to share sweet moments with his family on his social media pages and often gets hundreds of thousands of likes for them.
There may be plenty of cricket players that have become giants over the years, but there is only a selection of them that has gained as huge of a social media presence.
