"He’s up there with Ronaldo and Messi!" - Former New Zealand batter makes big claim about Indian cricketer Virat Kohli

Former New Zealand cricket captain Ross Taylor believes that Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is as popular as football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He pointed out Kohli's massive influence on social media, especially Instagram.

In a recent appearance on the 180 Not Out podcast, Taylor said (via Times of India):

"Players are putting outposts endorsing products and things like that. Who would have thought of that in 2008? Someone like Kohli, who is a superstar in the world of cricket, but is also a global superstar in the world of sports. In terms of Instagram and social media, he’s up there with Ronaldo and Messi!"

"Yeah, I think you are more accessible, I don’t think sportsmen are just as critiqued. I think movie stars, Bollywood stars, politicians are all under the microscope now because of social media but I don’t think that is a bad thing."

Virat Kohli is one of the most famous sporting personalities in the world. With a staggering 269 million followers on Instagram, the batter's sensational fan following is certainly comparable to that of football's top stars.

Ronaldo remains the most followed account on the social media app with an unbelievable 630 million followers, while Messi is slightly behind him with 503 million.

Manchester United legend picks Messi over Ronaldo

Rooney snubbed his former teammate.

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney backed Lionel Messi as the best player ever over Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary Premier League attacker claimed that the Argentine superstar's flair gave him the edge over the Portuguese icon.

Rooney said on The Overlap (via Four Four Two):

“I think Messi, he’s the best ever," began the former Manchester United forward. "I get a lot of stick for saying Messi where it’s as if, ‘How can you say Messi, it’s Ronaldo’."

"I understand that people can say Messi, people can say Ronaldo – they are both incredible, probably the best two players to ever play the game."

"For me, Messi has just got that little bit more flare, which I like in a player, so that’s the reason."

The pair are certainly two of the greatest stars in the history of the sport. With a combined 13 Ballon d'Or awards and many other glittering trophies, they have established themselves as the best players of their generation.

However, it is interesting to note that Rooney chose Messi over former teammate Ronaldo. The relationship between the pair has seemingly soured, highlighted by the 39-year-old taking a shot at him prior to his exit from Manchester United in 2022.