Former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor believes that <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2024-boosted-me-when-i-struggled-in-ipl-2022-virat-kohli-talks-about-special-bond-with-dinesh-karthik-23350926" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Virat Kohli</a>'s influence is "right up there" with the football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Over the past couple of years, Kohli's influence in the world of cricket as well as on social media has increased tremendously.
While talking about the growing rise of social media, Taylor stated that the stalwart batter is a "global superstar" and is on the same level as Ronaldo and Messi in the world of social media.
"Players are putting out posts endorsing products and all that. Who would have thought that in 2008? Virat Kohli is a global superstar in the world of sports in terms of Instagram and social media. Virat is right up there with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi". (180 Not Out Podcast).
The Portuguese goal-scoring machine, Ronaldo has 630 million followers on Instagram, which is the most anyone has on the platform. The 2022 World Cup winner, Messi has 503 million followers on Instagram and overall he is second on the list. Kohli is close to making it into the top-10 and currently sits in the 16th spot with 269 million followers.
While making an impact in the world of social media, Kohli continues to make his ever-growing presence felt on the cricket field as well.
In the recently concluded IPL 2024, the 35-year-old who featured for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the Orange Cap for scoring most runs in the 17th edition of the cash-rich league.
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He scored 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75, with a century and five fifties in IPL 2024. His best score was 113* and his strike rate stood at 154.69, the highest it has ever been for Kohli in a single IPL season.
Overall, in 252 IPL matches, Virat scored 8,004 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97, with eight centuries and 55 half-centuries. His best score is 113*.
Kohli will now feature on the global stage for the Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies.
The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York.
(With agency inputs)

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