Virat Kohli, one of the most celebrated cricketers globally, is a massive figure both on and off the field. Kohli, one of the most successful cricketers of his generation, has also carved out a place for himself in the realm of Guinness World Records.
Guinness World Records has long been a solid benchmark for extraordinary achievements, recognizing feats spanning sports, entertainment, science, and more. Athletes, in particular, have become prominent record holders, not just for their accomplishments in their respective sports but also for their influence off the field, including in areas like social media and public engagement.
With an impressive fan following, Virat Kohli has already made his mark by setting records in Asia. However, some Guinness World Records currently held by other athletes such as football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, could be broken by Kohli in the future.
On that note, here are three unique Guinness World Records the Indian superstar can break.
3 unique Guinness World Records Virat Kohli can break
#3 Most followers on Instagram
As of October 15, 2024, Virat Kohli has 270 million followers on Instagram, which is a remarkable number. However, the current record for most followers on Instagram is held by Potrugal's star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who boasts 621,979,902 followers as of February 19, 2024.
Another football legend, Lionel Messi, follows closely. The Argentina international is behind Ronaldo with 499,703,950 followers on the popular social media platform.
Virat Kohli has a long way to go to catch up with these football icons. However, his steady growth and massive popularity, both in India and outside, could help him edge closer in the time to come and potentially break this record.
#2 Most liked image post on Instagram
Football great Lionel Messi currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most liked image post on Instagram. With 75,471,947 likes (as verified on 24 March 2023), the post featured Messi holding the FIFA World Cup trophy after Argentina's thrilling win against France in the final.
Virat Kohli's most liked Instagram post is the one he shared after India won the T20 World Cup in 2024. He is seen posing and celebrating with the team in the post. The post has crossed 21 million likes and is the most liked in India and Asia. However, though significant, Kohli's post will need even more global reach to challenge and break Messi's record.
#1 Most followers on X for an athlete
Cristiano Ronaldo is also the Guinness World Record holder for the most followers on X for an athlete. He set the record with 45,642,117 followers as of August 23, 2016. However, with his ever-increasing popularity, Ronaldo's X following has surged to 113.4 million as of October 15, 2024.
Virat Kohli is also among one of the most popular athletes globally. The former Indian skipper currently has 65.4 million followers on his X account. While there is still a gap, his growing influence could allow him to close in on this record if he continues to expand his presence outside of India.
As Kohli's influence continues to rise, particularly in India and among cricket fans worldwide, there is certainly potential for him to challenge and break some of these global records.
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