There are some sports personalities who are great; there are some who are greater. Meanwhile, superstars like Virat Kohli transcend sports. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, and Rafael Nadal are some of the examples where even non-sports fans know who the personalities are. In cricket, Kohli has reached that level and is perhaps the one to do it after Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli’s popularity has long stretched beyond cricket grounds, and the latest praise for the Indian veteran has come from an unexpected corner of the sporting world..
Several Australian Football League (AFL) players recently weighed in on cricket’s greatest-ever player, and Kohli emerged as the overwhelming favourite. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, multiple AFL stars described the former India captain as cricket’s “GOAT” and spoke about the aura he brings whenever he steps onto the field.
While some athletes admitted they do not follow cricket closely, Kohli was still the first name that came to mind. Some other players talked about his passion, intensity and ability to perform under pressure as reasons why he stands above the rest.
Sports personalities with most Instagram followers
| Rank | Sportsperson | Sport | Instagram Followers* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | 675M+ |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Football | 510M+ |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | Cricket | 273M+ |
| 4 | Neymar Jr. | Football | 236M+ |
| 5 | LeBron James | Basketball | 154M+ |
Virat Kohli 2.0 rules Indian batting
Kohli has built one of the most remarkable international careers the sport has ever seen. Across 313 ODIs, he has scored 14,797 runs at an average of 58.53, including a record 54 centuries. His overall international tally includes 85 centuries across formats, with 30 in Tests, 54 in ODIs and one in T20 internationals.
Now AFL players were seen praising Kohli, who has perhaps found his second wind as an ODI player. Since stepping away from Test cricket in 2025, he has focused entirely on white-ball cricket and looks rejuvenated.
In ODIs, he has been in sublime touch. His last eight innings include scores of 74*, 135, 102, 65*, 93, 23, 124 and 5. Since the start of 2025, he has piled up 891 runs in 16 ODI innings at an average of 68.5, with four centuries and five fifties. He also enjoyed another prolific IPL campaign in 2026, scoring 675 runs in 16 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Fittingly, he scored the winning runs for RCB, who won its second title in back-to-back years.
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